


C L A R I T Y

by micdropragnarok



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Crime, F/M, Kidnapping, Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Sexual Assault, PTSD, Slow Burn, Smut, Therapy talk, assassin/mob stuff, gets darker the more you read..., mafia!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:47:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 32,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25672318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/micdropragnarok/pseuds/micdropragnarok
Summary: Being the therapist of one of the biggest crime groups in the city certainly seemed like a terrible idea on paper, especially as you were bound to keep all their secrets hidden… Especially since their problems were often caused by each other. When the dangerous mafia boss asks if you can become a therapist for his son, who are you to refuse? Especially since he is the most eligible bachelor in the city…
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Reader, Suh Youngho | Johnny/Reader
Comments: 20
Kudos: 59





	1. so you think he's hot?

**Author's Note:**

> A short disclaimer before we dive in: I AM NOT A THERAPIST. In fact, I have never attended therapy, although I was planning to once COVID died down a bit more. Everything that happens in this story, therefore, is fictional. I am basing it off what I personally would find useful/comforting/etc, so please remember that whilst reading. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this! It is super exciting as my first ever nct full-length fic! my tumblr is micdropragnarok if you wanna check out my other works, I have written a socialmedia!au ft. johnny called replay if you wanna read it! xoxo
> 
> Anyway, enough rambling from me. Enjoy!

When you were 17, you had picked your degree knowing you were going to become a therapist. It had almost been laid out for you, both your parents were in the profession and had raised you, ahem, groomed you, to follow in their footsteps. It wasn’t that you minded, of course. It really was your dream. When you had moved to the big city at 25, armed with all the qualifications you needed and enough money to start your own business, you thought the world was your oyster. Except the oysters came in very specific packages, ones you started to regret, but found yourself too entangled in to do anything about it.

You had just set up shop, using the name Lotus House and turning the property you bought into a sanctuary, somewhere where people could come and forget their problems. The landlord of the property was very interested in what you were doing and even invested in your new company. He then became your first client. Mr Jung had seemed normal, but as soon as you got him in the hot seat, you realised he was anything but.

That had been 2 years ago and now you were in a good position, with three employee’s working with you, your receptionist and assistant Mark Lee, and the other licensed therapist you had sponsored and helped train almost immediately after you had moved in, Sana Minatozaki. You were planning on seeking out another therapist to join, once the builders had finished ripping out the kitchen to turn it into another office space. One step at a time. Your entire building design had been your idea, using calming blues and expensive Anthropologie style furniture throughout. It was bright and airy, in contrast to your own flat which featured muted greys throughout. You loved your office, featuring a yellow chair which you occupied during your meetings, and a huge comfy blue chair which your patient took. It was peaceful and calm, and yet still pretty and bright as well. And most of all, it was all yours. That was the most important part. You were your parent’s daughter, independent and had grown up knowing exactly what you wanted.

You called in your next meeting, smiling briefly at the name highlighted in the diary you had on your lap, your last meeting of the day. The door opened and a slightly depleted skinny blonde-haired man came in, and although his features were certainly delicate, he was certainly far from it. You waved him in with a smile. “Hi, Taeyong. How’s your week been so far?”

“Not good, I’ll be honest with you, Y/n,” he said, sighing and slumping into his seat. You cocked your head curiously.

“Honesty is all I ever want here, Taeyong. You know that. We can talk about it if you want.”

“Yeah. Although I’m not sure where to start,” he said with a sigh.

“Wherever you want. I’ll try and make sense of it along the way.”

“Well, I was out with Yuta the night before last. We were drinking, out in a bar in our territory. Then, three guys came in. We could tell they weren’t from our lot. They had snake badges on.”

“Slytherin’s?” You joked.

“I wish. They’re from the biggest rival gang on the other side of the city. We didn’t want a fight, you know me, I don’t like getting into fights for no reason. I just wanted a drink. But they were in our territory! What was I meant to do?”

“I understand the position you were in. So what happened then?” You prompted.

“Well. We got thrown into the trash cans outside. They said if they ever see us again, they’ll kill us.”

“Taeyong...”

“I know. I didn’t know whether I should mention the Snakeskins in our territory to the boss. It seems they’ve been getting closer and closer each day.”

“The Snakeskins? Is that their name?” You asked curiously. You had, of course, heard about the rival gang, but you hadn't given them much thought until now. Taeyong nodded. You snorted at the name. “Right. I’ll try to take them seriously with that name.”

“They’re not to be trifled with, Y/n,” Taeyong warned.

“Yes sir,” you said with a salute. Taeyong cracked a smile. “

I’m just worried about what it means. I don’t think a gang war on our turf is the answer.”

“Ideally. I live on this side of town too, you know.” You joked. “How did they know you guys were part of the 127 Syndicate?” You asked. Taeyong shifted in his seat, scratching the back of his head. “Well. We may have 127 printed on our jackets… just maybe…”

“Sounds like you were asking for trouble, then,” you laughed. Taehyung shrugged.

“You know how I am. I just don’t want things to escalate.”

“Maybe you should talk to Mr Jung. I’m sure he’ll sort it out for you, make sure it doesn’t escalate.”

Taeyong nodded at your suggestion. “I was definitely thinking about it. It's just… making me anxious.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that Taeyong. I know you’ve been keeping out of trouble for the last few months.” Taeyong beamed.

“As much as I can, anyway. It's hard since I’m part of the biggest mafia group in the city, but ya know. It gets better?” He said with a shrug. You nodded.

“That’s what I like to hear. Always finding good in the bad.” Taeyong smiled, and you were reminded why you had a fondness for the boy.

“I’ve been given a high position within 127 in the last few years, as you know. I’m worried about how this will look now if I tell Mr Jung.”

“Are you worried about him limiting your power?” You asked. Taeyong nodded.

“All it takes is one mistake. And this wasn’t a good one.”

“Still. I joked earlier, but you were only wearing jackets. And this is your territory. It sounds like they were provoked by something more than you just being there.” You pointed out.

“I hope not. But maybe I’ll do some investigating. I don’t want anything bad to happen. This is the quietest things have been for a while.”

“It’s always quietest before the storm,” you mused. Taeyong glared at you, making you snort.

“Sorry. Sometimes I can’t help my sinister side coming out,” you said with a subtle shake of your head. Taeyong grimaced.

“I mean, you are right. But I just don’t want it to be true. Not now. Mr Jung’s son is going to be graduating next month, and I’m already concerned about what that could mean for me,” Taeyong explained.

“I haven’t heard about this before,” you said curiously.

“I know. I’d kind of forgotten about it, to be honest. We don’t see that much of him, so he’s pretty easy to forget. We used to be best friends, but he’s leading a very different life now. I don’t know what his return will mean,” Taeyong admitted.

“If you were friends before, you can probably become friends again,” you pointed out. “He’ll probably be searching for some familiarity and stability,” you added. Taeyong nodded thoughtfully. “Your probably right. We’ll have to wait and see,” Taeyong mused. You agreed, and you spent the rest of the session discussing ways to cope with added stress and other coping mechanisms you had taught Taeyong over the years. You were pleased with the meeting by the time it ended, marking the end of the day and the start of the weekend, both of which was a very good thing for you. As much as you loved your job, the weekend was always a welcome sight.

*

The next month of work flew by; and despite Taeyong’s worries, the Snakeskins seemed to keep their distance, from what you had managed to gather from the information dropped by your various patients. Sometimes, you felt like an investigator, trying to piece together the in and outs of the 127 Syndicate, but you knew that if you tried too hard, you would find yourself in trouble. You were lucky in that Mr Jung kept you relatively sheltered, and certainly didn’t ever promote you as a therapist for the mafia, for which you were incredibly grateful.

Just as you were pondering this, a loud voice boomed in your office, “Y/n!” Mr Jung said cheerfully. You looked up, surprised to see him when your next meeting wasn’t meant to be for an hour. “Y/n, Mr Jung is here,” Mark said on the intercom. You rolled your eyes, pressing the speaker button and saying “Thanks Mark,” in the most sarcastic tone you could muster.

“This is my son, Jaehyun. I don’t believe you’ve met,” Mr Jung said. You looked up, noticing the tall handsome figure standing next to Mr Jung. Your mouth nearly starting watering taking in the tall glass in front of you, he was perfectly groomed, his hair quaffed perfectly, wearing a gorgeous three-piece suit that certainly fit the description of a mafia boss’s son. His facial expression was blank, and you didn’t know if it was coldness or just shyness. “Hi Jaehyun,” you said, inclining your head. He nodded back at you, not saying a word.

“I was hoping you would have room for one more patient, Miss L/n. My son has just finished his PhD in Physiology & Sports Science, and he’s decided to help me out with the business for a while. I want him to be prepared. He’s done bits for me before, but I don’t want to through him into the deep end.”

“I’d love to help. I can fit him in with Sana if you like,”

“No,” Mr Jung interrupted. “I want him with you. He deserves the best.”

“Sana is perfectly qualified…”

“Miss L/n. Please.” Mr Jung said sternly.

You looked up at Jaehyun apprehensively. If he saw your weariness, he didn’t let it on and offered you a soft smile, which melted the frozen organ in your chest. “You know I don’t want to make life more difficult for you, Y/n…” his father said.

“Then don’t,” you interrupted sunnily, forcing a smile. He chuckled.

“It’s sweet that you feel like you have a choice. Don’t forget who I am, Y/n,”

“Dad…” Jaehyun warned. You narrowed your eyes, surprised that Jaehyun would attempt to stand up for you, a complete stranger, against his father. It told you what you needed to know about Jaehyun: that he would be a good patient for you. You sighed, shrugging. “Fine. But I’m charging my usual rate. Don’t think you mob bosses get a family and friends discount.” Mr Jung laughed, clapped his hands together with a smile. “Fantastic! We’ll book you in with Mark. Thanks again, Y/n!” He said cheerfully, dragging his son away who looked perturbed. Which was exactly how you felt. You stared at the door long after it had been shut, wondering just what you had been dragged into.

*

“So you think he’s hot?” Sana asked you, grinning from her glass of wine.

“I mean, I’m not blind, Sana,” you retorted, sipping from your own glass. “He’s much better looking than Taeyong,” you added, grinning at the blush forming on Sana’s cheeks.

“I mean, that’s not that hard,” Mark snorted. Sana glared at him but didn’t say anything.

“I don’t think it’ll get in the way though,” you said with a shrug. “I’m very professional.”

“What if he’s not,” Sana said suggestively. You batted her arm with a glare.

“Come on. You know I’m better than that. I’d just give him over to you, anyway,” you teased.

“Great, another patient, just what I need,” Sana said, rolling her eyes. You laughed.

“One minute I don’t give you enough responsibility, the next minute I give you too much responsibility,” you teased.

“I would be happy with more responsibility,” Mark wailed. You and Sana both laughed at that, much to Mark’s despair. The jovial work drinks continued until the bar finally shut, and you all got Ubers home, looking forward to another splendid weekend.

That evening, Mark agreed to set you up with his friend Lee Dongmin. After one date the following evening, you felt for the first time in a while settled in your job and your personal life. Dongmin was kind and had the sweetest smile, a far cry from the mobsters who entered your office day in and day out. He was a school teacher at a school on the same side of town as your work, and after numerous dates, he had asked you to be his girlfriend, which you had gratefully accepted, much to the surprise of your work friends, who had seen you single for so long.

“I like my work. Its always been my priority. But things are going well now, so I should let loose,” you said defensively. They had both agreed with that. “Dongmin is lovely. Don’t break his heart,” Mark had scolded. You shrugged.

“I can’t promise anything. But I’ll try my best not to hurt him,” you agreed.

*

Monday morning rolled around, you looked up at the timid knock on the door, beckoning them into your office with a polite “come in.” You were surprised to see Jung Jaehyun, having forgotten today was his first meeting. “Jaehyun,” you said warmly, offering him a smile. He smiled back, scratching the back of his neck. He sat down awkwardly, not saying anything for a few moments. “I don’t really know what I’m gonna say,” he eventually said honestly.

“We’re strangers to each other, Jaehyun. I want you to feel comfortable with me, so ask me whatever you want. Today is almost like a first date, we’re just getting to know each other,” you said with a grin. He flushed. “And we have to be a right fit, for both of us. I mean, most of your family and crew have had no complaints. Although they do know I could spill their secrets if they don’t tell me they like me,” you said with a chuckle, watching as Jaehyun’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m kidding. Mostly. They know I would never tell their secrets. It’s like the saying, what it said in this room, stays in this room.”

“Client confidentiality,” Jaehyun said in agreement. You nodded.

“Yes. Even if you walk in next week and say you slaughtered twenty people. Although for that one I would probably call the police.”

“But you know my father has killed people. Why don’t you call the police on them?” Jaehyun pressed. You hesitated.

“Honestly? Maybe I should. I don’t know how most therapists work, I’ve worked on my own for a long time now. I just look at it this way. Why does your father do the things he does? It's not for pleasure. It's largely for money and power. Is that a motive for serial killers? No. they almost always do things for gratification, to fill a hole, because they get a thrill out of the kill. I think, if your father could gain money and power without killing, I think he would. I’m drawing a distinction between your father and serial killers. Does that mean I agree with what your father does? No. Definitely not. But does it mean I think he still deserves help? Yes, I do. When he first came to see me, it’s because he was worried about what it all meant for his mental being. Then he sent everyone else to me, because it's a dangerous world, and if you can’t talk to someone about it, then what is the point? There’s no point of having money and power if you aren’t happy. I mean, it’s not even happiness, it’s just mindfulness and mental wellbeing.”

“Why did my father only just send me to you now, then?” Jaehyun asked. “He’s never said before that I should be in therapy.”

“You make it sound so clinical,” you chuckled. “It’s just talking, Jaehyun. It doesn’t have to be any more than that. I’m not gonna stick tubes in your brain, or try and get you to make huge revelations about your psyche. Unless you want me to do the latter. It would be a real career achievement.”

“But why now?” Jaehyun asked again. You shrugged.

“I don’t know. And trust me, that’s not something I say often. I mean, I can promise you that I don’t have _all_ the answers, and I hope you don’t expect me to. I just think your dad probably sent you to me for the same reason he came to me. Maybe he wanted to test the waters with me before sending in his only son,” you pointed out. Jaehyun nodded.

“You talk like I’ve already decided to stay,” he said. You blinked, thinking back and realising your mistake.

“I mean, I hope so. I already know a bit about you from the people close to you who see me. I really do think I could help you. And I want to. It's my job, and I know I can help.”

“What do you think I need, then, help-wise?” Jaehyun asked curiously, sitting back in his chair.

“Well, I know how lonely it can seem in your line of work. You guys all like to pretend your hard on the outside, but your all the same, soft and gooey on the inside. Like creme eggs.” Jaehyun raised an eyebrow at your comparison. “Never mind,” you said hastily. “I just mean men generally have a tendency to hide how they feel, or bury their emotions. When you are dealing with some pretty hard stuff, that becomes harder and harder to do. It's much healthier to talk about it; for your mind, and for those around you,” you explained. Jaehyun nodded quietly, absorbing your words. You looked at Jaehyun. “I would do right by you, Jaehyun. I promise. I’ll let you decide.”

*

You were only a little bit surprised to find that Jaehyun had signed on permanently as one of your patients. You had your doubts, but you think your final words had managed to win the kind-hearted boy over. You weren’t sure why you were referring to him as a boy, having checked his birth records he gave to Mark, he was only a little bit older than you. Not that it mattered much. You received a very happy voicemail from his father, who gushed about how Jaehyun had said great things about you. It made you smile. Whilst his father certainly terrified you, you still liked that he at the very least respected you and your work.

Weeks flew by, and you found yourself in a rhythm with Jaehyun. He felt burdened by his father’s business, something which he had not wanted to get involved in, but knew it was impossible to avoid. You tried to reassure him where you could, encouraging him to lean on Taeyong, whom he had come to trust again, just like when they had been kids, which had made them both considerably happier in your sessions. It, in turn, made you happier. You were incredibly empathetic, as Mark constantly pointed out, and whilst you were a professional, you were happier when your patients were happier. If that wasn’t enough, you were also happy with Dongmin. He had introduced you to his friends, his circle, and you found yourself falling for him extremely easily, like it was the simplest thing in the world. It wasn’t a devastating love, like a whirlwind romance that you sometimes dreamed of, but it worked. It was practical.

*

“Dongmin? What’s up, you don’t usually ring me at work,” you pointed out upon answering the phone to your boyfriend at lunch.

“I thought I would surprise you and meet you for lunch. Do you have an hour free at 1ish? My class is out on a trip this afternoon.” You looked over your diary and there was only one name there just before 1pm, Jaehyun. “I have one client in a few minutes at 12, so I should be free at 1. Did you wanna meet me here?”

“Sounds good,” Dongmin said happily. You smiled at his excitement.

“I’ll see you then. Bye, love you,” you said, hanging up. As you uttered the final words, a curious head poked round, and it was Jaehyun. “Hi, sorry I’m a little early, Mark said to come straight up,” Jaehyun said, his ears flushing red at being caught. You waved your hand, coming to sit in your usual spot away from your desk, beckoning Jaehyun to sit in front. He sat down, his movements calm but his body was tense. You looked at him inquisitively. “What’s on your mind, Jaehyun? You seem a little stressed,” you asked. Jaehyun just shrugged.

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend,” he muttered, still a little embarrassed. You felt your lips twitch into a smile.

“Some therapists can make time for personal lives, too. Although I think I can safely admit that I find it a struggle sometimes.” Jaehyun perked up a little at that.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“Well, it's just difficult to balance a work-life and a personal life. I’m sure you understand that too,” you said.

“Yeah, I do. I just assumed your life was… well organised,” he said sheepishly. You chuckled.

“An easy mistake to make. I’m just like you, really, Jaehyun. I don’t have my shit sorted out really. Its easier to help others than deal with my problems. That’s what my therapist says to me, anyway,” you said with a laugh. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

“You have a therapist too?”

“Yep. Both my parents were therapists too and they insisted I had one. I’ve had the same therapist since I was 12.”

“Wow.”

“I know. I have learned a lot from her, though.” You said, feeling guilty since you knew you were well overdue for a meeting with her. You knew Jaehyun revelled in this new information about you, and you could tell that putting a crack in the obviously perfect vision he had of you made you easier to talk too - something you had sensed in your last meeting and was pleased to see was working.

“So you’ve always felt therapy is a good thing, then?” Jaehyun asked you curiously. You nodded with a smile.

“You don’t need to have an illness to have a need to talk to someone. I think lots of people would benefit from just being able to vent for a little while. Especially men,” you said casually, without even realising what you had said.

“Men?” Jaehyun asked with a raised eyebrow. You felt your cheeks redden.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean that… well, I kind of did. Men have a tendency to not talk about their problems, like I said to you when we first met. It's especially with their friends, they hardly ever open up. Women are more likely to discuss their feelings with their friends, and some can even treat their friends like therapists,” you said with a chuckle. Jaehyun regarded you curiously.

“I suppose your right. I guess it makes my family somewhat sensible, then. Especially given our line of work,” he said with a smile. After a more general discussion about Jaehyun’s position in his father’s company and how he was handling it, your alarm went off. You turned it off, looking up and seeing Dongmin waving at you from the hall. You felt your lips twitch at the lanky man who was a strange comparison to Jaehyun who was standing, getting ready to leave in front of you. “Is that your boyfriend?” Jaehyun asked, gesturing his head to Dongmin. You nodded, not elaborating any further. Jaehyun just coughed, not offering any sort of opinion, for which you were grateful. “I’ll see you next week, Jaehyun,” you said with a smile, opening the door for him. You saw Dongmin look at Jaehyun curiously, standing up slightly straighter. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. Men’s egos were so fragile. “Thanks, Y/n. See you next week,” Jaehyun replied with a beam, a more friendly response than what you usually got from Jaehyun, but you weren’t surprised. The two men nodded at each other, before Jaehyun left. You waved Dongmin back into your office, grabbing your handbag and leaving your work notes on your desk for later. “Hey, babe. I’m ready for lunch,” you said cheerfully, summoning as much energy as you could to help quell any fears Dongmin had brewing.

“Was that one of your clients?” Dongmin asked immediately, looking back at Jaehyun’s retreating figure.

“Yeah,” you said dismissively, quickly applying your lipstick before putting it back in your handbag.

“He seems… tall,” Dongmin said, his expression turning sullen. You pressed your lips into a line, trying not to laugh.

“Sure, if you say so. Can we go eat? I’m starving,” you said, heading out of your office before Dongmin could add anything else.


	2. five shots deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm sorry about the delay for this update. I don't think I'll be particularly fast with updates with this if I'm honest, but I will try my best, as always! Enjoy!

_2 Months Later_

You were sat in your apartment, finally having a long-awaited dinner with Dongmin, even though it only consisted of pizza from the place across the road, which just so happened to make the best pizza ever, in your opinion, with all the right amounts of toppings and cheese.

Work had been so busy in the last two months that you had somewhat neglected Dongmin, and you knew that you were probably going to have to call it off soon. From building contractors messing up your new office to money not being paid to you by your clients, you were at your wits end with your work. So you wanted to avoid rocking the boat with Dongmin - You were happy to remain blissful for a little longer.

You were enjoying yourself, shoving another greasy pizza slice in your mouth before downing a glass of coke, but Dongmin was shifting in his seat, trying to spark up the nerve to say something. It was starting to get on your nerves, but just as you were about to say something, he spoke up. “I want you to move in with me,” Dongmin declared, his eyes shining with excitement. He looked so excited in fact at this declaration, like he was proposing to you. You were almost surprised he wasn’t on one knee. You felt your chest heave. You had seen the signs, you had maybe noticed the hints he had been putting into place over the last few months, of course, but you had expected it to die down with your constant refusals and adamance that you needed to stay where you were for now, and had little to no desire for any kind of change in your life. Of course, you cared about Dongmin… but you couldn’t. “Dongmin… I can’t. You live on the other side of town, and I can’t live there because of my work. It would put me in danger,” you said sadly, trying to sound as rational as possible.

“I could protect you,” Dongmin said confidently, his chest boasting out with pride. You tried not to roll your eyes. You appreciated the sentiment, but you knew the power of the 127, and you knew their rivals would hold the same sort of power. A primary school teacher protecting you was a no-go. “You wouldn’t be able to, Dongmin. Not from the literal mob. Isn’t there any chance of you moving to this side of town so we could at least be a little closer? I know we don’t end up seeing enough of each other because of work, but if you were on this side…”

“I can’t move to this side of the town, Y/n… you know I can’t afford real estate on this side of town,” Dongmin said uncomfortably, as he often got when you were discussing money or the fact that you earned so much more than he did. “Then move in with me,” you offered, although you could feel the half-heartedness in the offer. You had always liked your own space, and you hadn’t been seeing Dongmin that long to feel that level of comfort with him. It all felt a little fast, a little too soon. Dongmin picked up on your reluctance almost immediately. “I get the feeling you don’t want me to,” Dongmin said quietly, looking at you and trying to suss you out.

“It’s not you,” you said quickly, wincing at the very obvious cliché. “It’s just… it feels a little soon. We haven’t been dating for that long, Dongmin,” you reminded him.

“It’s been two months,” Dongmin said defensively. “At our age… well, people get married younger and younger. I just wanted to solidify things, I guess. I wanted to show you that I could be committed to our relationship… but can you?” Dongmin asked you shrewdly. “Sometimes I feel like all you care about is work.” He added sadly.

“Its… I love my work, Dongmin. And I would give it up for someone… but it would have to be for the right someone… and… well, I don’t know if you are. I just don’t want to change things for you, Dongmin. It doesn’t mean I don’t care… just that I love my work, and everything I’ve built.”

“I’m not asking you to give it up…”

“I know. But I don’t even wanna slow down. And I think you want to speed _us_ up. And I can’t have both. So I choose work.” You said, making your words as gentle as possible. Dongmin looked at you, utter sadness on his face. “I’m not asking you to choose now. Can’t we just keep things as they are?” He pleaded. You shook your head.

“You might not now, but you will eventually. And… I think it would be easier if we end things now. I should have made myself clear from the beginning how important my work is.”You said sadly, feeling guilty. Perhaps part of you had always known that things couldn’t work out as long as you were as committed as you were to your work. Maybe you would give it up for someone… but Dongmin wasn’t that person. “I understand, Y/n. I do. But I think if you won’t let me in… well, you should let someone in. I don’t want you to end up alone. You deserve someone special,” Dongmin said softly. “Thank you, Dongmin. I’m sorry it wasn’t you,” you replied, squeezing his hand lightly. He nodded, standing up and getting ready to leave. “I should go. Take care, Y/n,” he said, heading out.

*

“He wasn’t the first, and he won’t be the last,” you said with a shrug at drinks with Mark and Sana after work the following afternoon, a glass of red wine topping down the back of your throat. “You do have a history of saying shit like that you know. Remember that guy Taemin? He was so fucking hot,” Mark sighed.

“What happened?” Sana asked curiously.

“Oh, Y/n obviously dumped him like a hot potato,” Mark replied.

“Hey! He was just a little too overbearing,” you said defensively. Mark snorted.

“You’re probably the only girl who would think a guy showering you with affection would be seen as overbearing. I mean honestly, Y/n…” Sana said with a tut.

“I remember that one time he sent roses to your office and you looked like someone had delivered a severed head,” Mark chuckled.

“No! That was the other guy… who was it? Oh, that was Lucas! He was so lovely…”

“Yeah, too lovely,” you interjected. “He was too young for me anyway. I didn’t need a boy toy,” you said dismissively.

“By the sounds of it, you don’t need any man,” Mark pointed out. You shrugged.

“You are allowed to have a healthy balance, you know, Y/n. It is acceptable. I just think you don’t want a relationship,” Sana said with a sly smile, the one she always got when she dropped any analysis of you on you. “You don’t need to be a therapist to know that,” Mark said with a grin. You nodded in agreement.

“It’s true. I just don’t really need a man. Or at least I haven’t found one that I’ve felt like I needed.”

“Well. As long as you can say that you’re happy that is all that matters, Y/n,” Sana reminded you.

“You shouldn’t feel like you need a man to fill a void - if the right person comes along, they should fit seamlessly into your life anyway,” Mark added. You sighed.

“I know you’re right. It's just a shame. Dongmin was lovely. Great sex, too. But wanting to move in after 2 months? That is real clingy, I don’t need that.”

“True," Sana agreed.

"Tell us more about this great sex, then.”

“No thanks, Mark.”

“Boring!” Mark said with an exaggerated yawn.You rolled your eyes.

“Can we go out tonight?” You asked, looking at Sana. “I wanna have a girls night,” you added. Mark huffed, whilst Sana clapped her hands together with joy.

“Yes! I will text the group chat and see who’s up for it. I haven’t been out in ages!! Yay!” She said, clapping her hands together excitedly. You smiled, her endless cuteness and excitement already making you feel better. “I’m busy anyway, I’m out with my boyfriend, thanks for asking,” Mark said snarkily. You grinned.

“You can come too, if you like.”

“Like, I said. I’m busy. But have fun! Seriously. Here,” Mark handed over a wad of money, much to your protests. “Drinks on me,” he said with a wink. You blew him a kiss in response.

“Let's go back to mine to get ready!” You said to Sana, who was busy texting your other friends. You began polishing off your drink before paying and heading out. It was gonna be a great night, you could feel it.

*

The evening rolled around very quickly, and you were out with your girls; Sana, Momo, Irene and Seulgi. You felt on top of the world, like you were already into the hoe phase of the breakup, and skipping over the sad parts. In truth, you were always just a little too good at compartmentalising. It didn’t help that nearly every song in the club reminded you that you didn’t need a man, including thank u next, new rules and a British favourite of yours: _All about Tonight_ by Pixie Lott. “I’m letting go of the hurt, cause its all about tonight,” you sang loudly, the alcohol penetrating parts of your brain that you never realised could be touched, feeling so buzzed, and unstoppable, looking fierce with your ladies dancing alongside you.

Irene was surprised to see this side of you, as you were usually the mother of the friend group - keeping an eye on everyone else whilst they had fun. Whilst you did let loose occasionally, None of the other girls had seen you quite like this and wanted to stop you from buying that fifth vodka and lemonade from the club bar, which was so overpriced as it was. “Your head is gonna hurt as much as your bank account if you keep going,” Seulgi said to you, but you brushed off her concern.

“We’re here to have fun, Seulgi, come on. Why don’t you come and dance?” You asked, beckoning the girl to the dancefloor, a group of males eyeing you and your friends, and you wanted to get in on the fun. One of the men shimmied behind you, letting you grind against him, which you enjoyed, if finding it a little sleazy. But sometimes you needed some sleaze, you reminded yourself as you looked over at Momo who had made herself comfortable dancing with your guy’s friend, an equally as attractive man who was looking at Momo like he wanted to swallow her whole. “You are incredibly sexy,” Sleazeball no.1 whispered in your ear, making you giggle.

“So are you,” you murmured back, despite his face slightly blurring. Gone from your thoughts was your primary school teacher ex, and you were in the moment, enjoying yourself immensely whilst alcohol was poured into you.

It was in this frame of mind in the club when Sana pulled you aside, a look of concern on her face. “Y/n,” she hissed. You looked at her with a huge smile, squeezing her cheeks like your own personal baby. “Baby. What’s up?” You cooed, your words slurring together so it actually sounded like “Babwastsup” at best. Sana gestured to a group of guys sitting in the VIP section of the club, one of them looking extremely familiar… it was Jaehyun. “Oh my god,” you gasped, clapping your hands together with excitement. “Its Jaebaby. I should say hewwoooo,” you said, stumbling towards him, only to find yourself being dragged back by Sana.

“Y/n, I don’t think its a good idea to go over there…” she said, but it was already too late. Jaehyun had locked eyes with you, who had been manically waving at him whilst Sana had you pinned to the wall, in a rather suggestive display that made Jaehyun raise an eyebrow.

*

Jaehyun was surprised to see you in the club, a 127 hotspot. He was more surprised, however, that you were extremely drunk, looking stunning in a figure-hugging low cut black dress that showed off assets Jaehyun would never dream of imagining on you. Because you were his therapist. Not that he didn’t think of you… it was inappropriate. The third surprising thing was, of course, the fact that you were waving towards him, pressed up against the wall with Sana, whom Jaehyun knew as your work colleague. Taeyong was sat next to him and noticed you as soon as Jaehyun looked in your direction, his eyes wide. “Is that…”

“Yep.”

“Wow.”

“Yep.”

“She’s a mess,” Taeyong said, awe lacing his tone. Jaehyun looked at him sideways.

“Sana looks great,” Taeyong added wistfully, looking at your friend whose sparkly silver dress reflected off the club lights, making her look like some kind of beautiful alien. Sana’s eyes glittered as they locked with Taeyong’s, who promptly looked away. “If she keeps waving she’ll draw too much attention. I’ll go over and… pacify her,” Jaehyun said. Taeyong snorted. “Sure. As long as it isn’t to get a better look at those HUGE…” he stopped mid-sentence as Jaehyun had kicked him in the shin, a cry of pain leaving his lips instead. Before Taeyong could even argue with Jaehyun, he had stood up, making his way towards you, his eyes heated and dark.

*

You watched as Jaehyun made his way towards you, excitement and alcohol in your veins. “Jaehyun!” You slurred excitedly, patting his shoulder particularly hard, making him wince just from the contact alone. “Hello, Y/n. It’s good to see you,” Jaehyun said cautiously, nodding at Sana who was offering Jaehyun an apologetic smile.

“You're my favourite client, you know. So nice, and good looking,” you giggled, poking Jaehyun in the bicep. Jaehyun’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

“If it wasn’t obvious before, she has had a lot to drink,” Sana said, her hand coming over your mouth, which you promptly licked like a child, and yet Sana held firm, much to her credit. “Get her home safe,” Jaehyun said to Sana, making his way back to the VIP tables when you reached out, Sana’s hand losing its grip too quickly, you then lost momentum and stumbled into his arms, which came immediately around your waist to stop you from falling. You looked up into his eyes, your vision going hazy, and the last thing you remember was looking into Jaehyun’s chocolate orbs, a look of concern crossing his features.

*

When you woke up the next morning, you were lucky enough to find yourself in your own bed. What you were surprised at was to find Seulgi snoring next to you. You blinked. You had no idea why she was there. As an artist, you knew she didn’t have work. WORK. It was Friday, you thought in a hurry, stumbling out of bed in an effort to get ready. Your frantic efforts woke Seulgi who looked up, looking grumpy. “Get back in bed, dumbass. Sana called in sick for you. You’ve got a day off.” You looked at Seulgi in disbelief.

“A day off? I haven’t had a day off in... well, a long time.”

“Well, you need one. You went way too hard last night. I think you were trying to forget about the breakup. And we get it, Y/n. But you gotta take care too,” You sat back in bed, your eyes filling with tears. “It isn’t that I miss Dongmin. I knew it wouldn’t have ended eventually. I just wished we could have kept things the same for a bit longer.”

“You probably miss the idea of him more than the reality,” Seulgi pointed out. You nodded, looking over at her expression which was a little smug.

“You’ve picked up too much from me and Sana,” you said with a chuckle. Seulgi laughed.

“Go back to bed. You could do with a couple more hours of sleep.” You couldn’t agree more. You leaned back, your head hitting the pillow, your eyes falling shut and you fell asleep immediately.

*

When you woke up again a few hours later, your head was a lot clearer, and Seulgi was out of bed. From the senses of your nose, she was cooking in the kitchen. You found your footing against the cold floor of your bedroom before tugging your pyjama shirt on which was still shoved under your pillow (you guessed you hadn’t got that close) and headed slowly towards the kitchen, your stomach warming to the idea of a meal inside of it. “Afternoon. How are you feeling?” Seulgi asked, breaking eggs into a frying pan and looking over at you with a grin. “I feel like shit. Honestly. What happened last night? Did I do anything bad?” You asked anxiously. Seulgi shook her head.

“Not by my standards anyway. You did bump into one of your clients, though… Jaehyun.” Your mind recalled seeing his face. You groaned.

“Please tell me I didn’t make a fool of myself in front of Jaehyun? He’s my fucking client, for christ’s sake,” you wailed. Seulgi shrugged.

“I’m not sure. I wasn’t there when you were talking to him. Sana said it wasn’t too bad by usual standards but because he’s your client…” Your eyes widened in horror.

“Oh my god. I feel sick. Poor Jaehyun…”

“You really care about him, don’t you?” Seulgi noted in surprise, flipping the eggs onto the plate before handing you a dish, which you accepted gratefully. “I just… I feel like Jaehyun blurs all my lines, you know? Sometimes I feel like I talk to him like a friend, and other times its totally professional. I have never been so torn before.”

“And it has nothing to do with the fact he’s the most eligible man in the city? A completely beautiful specimen who was concerned about you last night?” You scooped a mouthful of egg into your mouth to avoid answering. You were not willing to examine it too closely, you were afraid of what you might find. It was certainly too early to even discuss anything. You were just embarrassed that he had seen you like that. “You know I don’t pay attention to all of that,” you finally said.

“I just want to be a good therapist. That’s all I’ve ever wanted, really. And yet I’ve managed to get myself swept up into the world of the mafia, and it’s driving me nuts.”

“Well, at least you haven’t been kidnapped or something. The Mafia around here are known for being against each other’s throats,” Seulgi pointed out.

“Don't jinx it,” you said darkly. “Sana and I have been invited to this ball on Saturday, actually. Its hosted by the 127.”

“A ball? Wow, that’s super fancy,” Seulgi said. You nodded in agreement.

“I know. It’s very mafia.”

“Is it a masquerade ball?” Seulgi teased. You laughed.

“No. Unfortunately, everyone is going to have to see my lovely face.” Seulgi snorted at that.

“What are you wearing? It better be a showstopper, Y/n. It’s the first time you’ve been out as a single woman in ages…”

“It's been… like two months,” you reminded Seulgi.

“You do love your relationships short and sweet don’t you,” Seulgi said with a laugh. You rolled your eyes.

“I’m just gonna stay single for a while now. I honestly don’t have the energy right now.”

“You have Jaehyun,” Seulgi snickered. Just as you were about to retort something, your phone rang, a shrill sound that you really didn’t need to hear, but as soon as you saw it was Sana you answered straight away. “Hi Sana,” you said, already feeling guilty. “Sana, I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have got so drunk, especially on a work night. I really don’t know what I was thinking… I am so, so sorry.”

“Hey. It’s fine, it happens to the best of us. I rang your clients and told them you’ll make up the sessions at some point. I hope that’s alright,”

“Yeah that’s perfect, thank you Sana,” you said, tears welling up in your eyes at her kindness.

“I’ve taken care of everything on this end anyway. Jaehyun was the most disappointed to hear you had cancelled, by the way,” Sana informed you. Your eyes widened at the information.

“What did he say?” You asked.

“Just that he was sad he wasn’t going to see you, but he said he wasn’t surprised. Did Seulgi tell you that you saw him?”

“Yeah, she did… how bad was it?”

“It wasn’t that bad, to be honest. Kind of funny, really. You called him hot or something and told him he was your favourite patient and passed out in his arms. He helped us take you to a cab, otherwise, Seulgi and I would have had to drag you into a cab. It was fucking funny really,” Sana said with a chuckle. You groaned in horror. “He held you so carefully like you were gonna break,” Sana added. You blinked. You wished you hadn’t of been passed out so you could remember that. “Honestly it was hot. like… I was not mad about it, at all. I knew he was probably ripped under those suits but he must be RIPPED ripped to have been able to easily carry you like that. Wow,” Sana said dreamily. “He wanted to come with us to make sure you got back all right, but we insisted he went back to his friends,” Sana explained. You stared at your phone, speechless.

“He’s such a sweetheart. Not like the other mafia guys we have as clients. Didn’t he train as a sports therapist or something?”

“Something like that,” you agreed.

“Taeyong tried to talk to me again last night too, but I wasn’t having any of it.”

“Again? I thought he got the message after you rejected him last time,” you snorted.

“Clearly not. Maybe we’re star crossed lovers. I should give him a chance,” Sana remarked. You laughed.

“Maybe you should and then he’ll stop talking about you in my sessions,” you said with a chuckle. Sana laughed.

“Anyway, I better go, my next meetings in 5. You’re still gonna pick me up for the ball, right?”

“Yes, of course. It's not like I’ll be drinking anyway,” you grumbled. Sana laughed.

“That’s not a bad thing.”

“Thank you, Sana, for everything. I don’t know how I deserve a friend like you.”

“I don’t know either. See you tomorrow,” Sana said with a chuckle before ending the call. You sighed in relief. It wasn’t so bad. At least that’s what you were going to tell yourself. Seulgi stared at you with a small smirk, but didn’t say anything. “I need to start some writing apology letters or something…” you mumbled.

“Maybe start with your bank account,” Seulgi said with a laugh. You groaned loudly.

“Fuck sake.”

*

The rest of the day went especially slowly, as you deleted pictures of Dongmin on your phone, effectively erasing him from your life. You had the memories, you didn’t need the physical (or digital) reminders of him as well. Seulgi left once she knew you weren’t going to die from your own vomit or something, and luckily you didn’t throw up too much from the night before, and by the early evening, you felt well enough to cook yourself a small dinner, and stick on your favourite chick flick, a guilty pleasure which you felt was much needed.

You couldn’t remember the last time you had a day off from work. This would be something to tell your therapist - although you could already predict the disappointment that you already felt. It could be worse, you thought to yourself, as you tried to enjoy the film.

And not think about Jaehyun.


	3. belle of the ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another update here for ya! pls let me know what you think!

You found yourself extremely nervous as you got ready for the ball.

Taeyong had told you a lot about the 127 balls, and whilst this was your first time, you knew the ins and outs from him, the drama that sometimes unfolded, the mystery, the ever-changing guest list based on who carried favour with the big boss and the downright flirting of the single men with any women that moved - something Taeyong had keenly warned you about in his last meeting.

“There’s a lot of sharks in the 127, Y/n. Even I don’t trust everyone in it. I always keep my eyes out for trouble, and you should too, especially because your fresh meat.”

“I don’t see why I have to go in the first place,” you muttered as a reply, feeling like a petulant child. Taeyong laughed.

“If Jung wants you there, you have to be there. He won’t look on it too fondly if you don’t show. You’ve seen how angry he can be,” Taeyong pointed out. You nodded, feeling a shiver down your back. He had certainly turned up to more than one appointment seething with rage, having smashed a few vases as well. Despite that, you always found an amount in your bank account from him the same day labelled “vase replacement money” which was often three times if not more the amount you actually paid for the vase. (you liked Target and Ikea, who was the real victim???) “You should find my sister Chaeryeong,” Taeyong explained, focusing you back to the conversation at hand. “She usually comes to these balls as well. She’s very shy, but she knows a lot about the 127. She’s a good ally,” Taeyong said to you. You nodded. “I’ll tell her to look out for you,” Taeyong added. You nodded gratefully.

“Thanks, Tae. I’ll see you there, too?” You said with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course,” Taeyong rolled his eyes. “But I’ll be networking as I’m usually expected to do.”

“Sure,” you agreed.

“Don’t be nervous. It’ll be fine,” he reassured you. You laughed.

“Look at who is reassuring me. How the tables have turned,” you said with a grin. Taeyong grinned back, and you felt reassured already.

* * *

You only had light butterflies by the time you went to pick up Sana. She looked as elegant as ever, dressed in a stunning ruffled navy gown which swished around her as she moved, her makeup just as elegant, emphasising her beautiful natural features. She really was a beauty. “You look gorgeous,” you told her as she climbed in the front of the car. Sana gave you the once over, smiling back at you. “So do you, babe. Are you ready for this?”

“As ready as I can be,” you replied, pulling out into the road, your heels finding the accelerator as you headed to the 127 mansion.

“So we’re in agreement. If we see a hot mobster that we wanna sleep with we are both okay with that?” Sana asked you in confirmation.

“Sure,” you nodded. You were both pretty good at picking up men, and tonight was probably not going to be an exception, especially after what Taeyong had said about the men being sharks. “Thank god we’re pretty. Or we’d have to rely on our personalities,” Sana said with a shiver. You rolled your eyes, the joke landing flat on you as you stifled at the idea that someone wouldn’t be interested in your personality. “It helps,” you said mildly.

“I’m kidding, obviously. It makes for nice hookups. I’m hoping for a tall, mysterious guy tonight. Wing woman?” Sana asked you with a wink.

“Agreed,” you said with a grin. “Personally, I need a one-night thing. Really hot sex. I’ve missed that.”

“I thought Dongmin was good in bed?”

“He… was good, yeah,” you said, thinking back to the various lovemaking sessions with him. “Just… having a huge dick doesn’t make it passionate. It was lovemaking, but it lacked that passion that one night stands can give.”

“That comes with familiarity, I guess,” Sana mused. You nodded in agreement.

“I’m definitely going to enjoy tonight. No familiarity indeed…”

* * *

As soon as you arrived, a valet came towards you, so you opened the door, offering your keys politely and going around to help Sana out of the car.

You both walked in together, gasping at the huge place, a massive chandelier dominating the hall, with a grand staircase decorated with the guests of the evening who had already arrived. Some eyes landed on you both as you came in, some curious, some predatory, including one very handsome and tall man who inclined his head towards you. You hesitantly smiled back at the handsome man before you noticed one young girl looking at you with a smile. She headed towards you, bowing as she landed in front of you, dressed in a floaty pink gown, reminding you of a fairy. “Hi, I’m Lee Chaeryeong, are you Y/n and Sana?” She asked, a sweet lilt tone that immediately soothed you. Of course she was Taeyong’s sister. “Yes, hi,” Sana confirmed with a warm smile.

“It’s nice to meet you both. Taeyong speaks very highly of you both,” Chaeryeong said earnestly.

“Thank you,” you replied.

“If you guys need anything this evening, just let me know. I know these things can be a little overwhelming, so you can give me a bell whenever, okay?” She said, grasping both of your hands. You both smiled, grateful for this beautiful young lady who was offering an olive branch in the scary mafia world. She seemed like a rarity, and it was an offer you didn’t want to take for granted. “We will, thank you Chaeryeong,” you said sincerely. She smiled, heading off and leaving you both to make your own entrance.

* * *

Jaehyun saw you as soon as you entered the room. You were hard to miss. Whilst you weren’t the most glamorous, or the most made up, with all the mobsters' wives outshining you in that department, you were still the most beautiful in an ice-blue gown which brushed the ground. Jaehyun hardly noticed Sana standing next to you, chatting to you animatedly. He thought about approaching you straight away, but found himself too nervous. He didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable about what had happened the other night. That was the LAST thing he wanted. Truth be told, he found the whole thing rather endearing.

Eventually, Jaehyun plucked up the courage, just as Sana moved away, probably to take advantage of the bar. “Hey,” Jaehyun started with, smiling a little, trying to ease the tension he saw in your stance when you saw him coming towards you. “Hi,” you replied, shifting uncomfortably. Jaehyun noticed it straight away and tried not to smile. “I’m pleased to see you here, you look absolutely stunning,” Jaehyun said, trying not to stare too hard at your form. You blushed.

“Thank you, Jaehyun. You look very handsome, as usual,” you said, much to Jaehyun’s surprise. He felt his ears redden at the compliment.

“Thanks,” he muttered. “How are you feeling?” He asked.

“I’ve... been better,” you said with a casual laugh, although it sounded forced, the light in your eyes that Jaehyun was so used to seeing slightly dimmed by his presence. “Listen, Jaehyun, I’m really sorry about the other night… I shouldn’t have had so much to drink, I broke up with my boyfriend and clearly went way further than I should of. I’ve overstepped so many boundaries and I would understand if you wanted a new therapist,” you said with a sad sigh. Jaehyun smiled, keen to reassure you of the opposite. “It’s okay. I don’t want a new therapist,” he explained with a little chuckle. “It just… made you more human. Sometimes I see you as a perfect person, someone who has mastered the art of existing and never making mistakes but last night… well, it just reminded me you the same as the rest of us,” Jaehyun said with a wink. You sighed with relief, the light returning to your eyes along with a little red on your cheeks. “Okay.”

“Try and enjoy yourself, tonight Y/n. Not too much, though,” he added, a light teasing in his tone. You grinned.

“I’ll do my best. Let’s talk later,” you promised.

* * *

Sana came back with a drink, looking at you with raised eyebrows. “What did Jaehyun say?” She asked.

“Just that I shouldn’t feel too bad,” you said dismissively. In order to stop the conversation, you noticed an attractive man watching Sana with interest.

“Hot man looking at you, 12 o’clock,” you informed Sana, snorting as she not so subtly looked at his direction before looking back at you, her cheeks flushing.

"He’s hot,” Sana admitted. You nodded in agreement.

“You should go and talk to him,” you encouraged. Sana narrowed her eyes at you.

“If you're trying to get rid of me so you can avoid talking about Jaehyun… Well, it's totally working. See ya!” Sana said, offering you a wave and heading towards the cute guy with a sly grin to match his silver hair and mullet. Whilst you were looking at Sana, you failed to notice the handsome man you had spotted earlier coming towards you until he was right in front of you, offering you a warm smile. “Hi, I’m Johnny,” the tall beautiful man said, his eyes twinkling as they quickly raked your form. If you thought he was gorgeous from across the room, he was twice as gorgeous up close, his formal tuxedo making him look like some kind of modern James Bond, and you were here for it. “Y/n,” you said, offering your hand, which Johnny took, his lips lingering on your fingertips, your eyes locked.

“How come I haven’t seen you around here before, Y/n?” Johnny asked, his lips quirking into a smile. You shrugged.

“I’m not a big fan of parties,” you explained nonchalantly. Johnny laughed.

“To be honest, I think after your nine-hundredth one here you get pretty sick of them. There are only so many beautiful gowns to wear, I’m sure,” Johnny said, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t be so sure. I actually have an endless supply of gowns at my disposal,” you joked.

“Well, you picked well tonight,” Johnny said with a smile.

“Thank you,” you replied gratefully.

“These things can be difficult to navigate. If you like, I can be your guide this evening,” Johnny offered. You laughed.

“I don’t think I’ll make too many faux pas. As long as I don’t mention my pacifism, I’m sure I’ll be alright,” you said with a wide grin. “I’ll still take you up on your offer though,” you added with a smile. Johnny smiled ruefully back. “Good. I would be glad to accompany you.”

“It would be good to have some muscle on my arm,” you said slyly. Johnny laughed, before softening, looking at you kindly.

“You remind me of my sister,” Johnny said softly. You raised an eyebrow.

“Well, that’s not exactly something a girl wants to hear,” you said jokingly. Johnny’s lips twitched before he sighed.

“She… she passed away actually.”

“Oh god, I’m sorry…” you said, cursing your mouth for making such a stupid joke. Johnny waved his hand away.

“It's okay. She had that same mischievous smile,” Johnny said, poking your lip. You smiled.

“I bet we would have got along really well, then,” you said gently.

“Most definitely,” Johnny agreed.

“How did she die?” You asked carefully, trying not to slip into therapist mode and just be a sympathetic friend, if a slightly curious one.

“It… She was shot in the head whilst she was driving one night.”

“Oh god, that’s awful. I’m sorry,” you said sympathetically.

“Thanks,” Johnny said gratefully. “It has been tough, but nowadays I just remember the good parts of her. She really was special,” Johnny said wistfully.

“Well, if you ever need someone to talk to… I’m here. Both literally, and figuratively, being a therapist and all,” you said with a little laugh. Johnny’s eyes widened, and you realised you’d let your profession slip. “You’re a therapist?” He asked curiously. You nodded, now the cat was out of the bag.

“For a lot of the 127, actually. You could come if you wanted. It’s good for you mafia types to not keep things bottled in,” you said lightly, not trying to sound like a sales pitch but understanding that you probably were. “Can I ask… does the big boss go?” Johnny asked, inclining his head at Mr Jung who was on the other side of the room. You hesitated, unsure if you should divulge that information, but figured what the hell, if it encouraged another client. You nodded slowly, smirking at the surprise on Johnny’s face. “Yep, it's true. Even the worst of them need someone to lean on sometimes,” you said. Johnny agreed with you, his jaw tight. Just as he was about to ask something Jaehyun came over, his eyes cold as he looked at Johnny. “Johnny. Y/n. Dinner is going to be served soon if you want to take your seats,” he said, gesturing to the throng of people who were making their way into the dining area. “Great. Thank you Jaehyun,” Johnny said kindly, his eyes as steely as Jaehyun’s. You could sense an unspoken tension, so you lay a hand on Johnny’s arm, letting him guide you to the table. The action wasn’t missed by Jaehyun, who just stared on. What he hadn’t noticed was that he was being observed by Sana who had been in conversation with Yuta, the man who had captured her attention.

Yuta saw where Sana was looking and sighed. “That’s Jaehyun,” he said resignedly, as if he knew that he no longer had a shot with Sana now that her attention had been caught elsewhere. Sana turned back to Yuta, startled. “Oh, I know. He’s one of the clients we have,” Sana explained. “I’m just curious. He seems a little riled up,” Sana noted. Yuta followed Sana’s gaze and nodded in agreement, watching Jaehyun’s dark expression.

“He does, doesn’t he? I wonder why… this is his first ball since being back from college, that could be why. Maybe he’s just a little unsure,” Yuta guessed. Sana nodded slowly, but she knew very well that Jaehyun’s eyes were firmly on you, his jaw ticking every time you leaned just a little bit closer to Johnny, whom you seemed to be getting on with immensely, much to Sana’s satisfaction; he was certainly a gorgeous specimen, a close rival to Jaehyun in terms of looks. But for Sana, Yuta was extremely pleasant to look at, so she refocused her attention on the man in front of her, offering him a winning smile which pleased him as he lead her to the dining area.

* * *

You were having a wonderful dinner. The food was sliding down your throat, completely unnoticed by you as you were practically on autopilot, laughing and joking too much with Johnny to even notice the food. Sometimes, you caught Jaehyun looking towards you, but every time you looked in his direction, he was looking pointedly elsewhere. Chaeryeong had sat nearby and had made polite conversation with you and Johnny, but she could tell you were both caught up in each other to remain a third wheel for too long. Taeyong had been, much to his sister’s amusement, looking at Yuta curiously, as if trying to figure him out. Taeyong had said hi to you but seemed to be otherwise preoccupied, more so than just what Yuta was doing you noticed as he sat next to Mr Jung, discussing something which did seem rather important.

Eventually, the desert places were being cleared away, with people starting to leave the dinner table. You took this as your cue. You took a breath before leaning into Johnny. “Listen… do you wanna come back to my place?” You asked, your voice dropping low to whisper in Johnny’s ear. He turned to look at you, shock on his face. “What now?” He asked, eyes glittering. You flushed.

“I mean, we’ve had food. Why should we stick around when we could be having so much more fun ourselves?” You said suggestively. Johnny grinned.

“I couldn’t agree more. Let’s go,” he said, taking your hand. You meant to say goodbye to Jaehyun and Sana, but you couldn’t find the time as Johnny snaked his hands around you, leading you away from the mansion towards the exit.

You found yourselves climbing into a cab as Johnny’s hands continued roaming your body, his lips finding yours. You felt like a drunken teenager, fumbling around in a car, heated and passionate. You weren’t sure why you had been drawn to Johnny, but as soon as you got back to your apartment and Johnny was on top of you, entering you and filling you with pleasure that you didn’t know was possible. If you had known such pleasure was possible, you would have hooked up with a 127 member a long time ago. The night was filled with passion, intense, raw, and you loved it. He made you scream that night, and you let him have all the control, something you weren’t used to doing but enjoyed - he knew exactly what you wanted, as if he was a mind reader, penetrating you in just the right spots, taking care of you like you knew you deserved. It was certainly a night to remember.

* * *

Jaehyun had unfortunately lost sight of you by the end of the evening; he wasn’t sure if you had gone home with Johnny or not. Not that it was any of his business, but he had never liked Johnny, who was new to the 127 and had risen quite quickly, being well-liked by his father and Taeyong, but there was just something about him that unsettled Jaehyun. He just felt overly protective of you, as a trusted secret keeper… he was sure it was nothing else. He had seen Sana leave, having spent most of her evening chatting with both Chaeryeong who had flitted between Taeyong and Yuta, and you and Johnny. Jaehyun had to stay close to his father throughout the evening, putting on a good face even though he knew he would rather be making you laugh and smile like Johnny was. Jaehyun knew he was getting in very deep into his feelings for you, and he was worried that if he let you in any more that he would be unable to stop. He didn’t know who he could confide to about it, either. Not you, that was for sure. He figured that if things got any worse, that he would swap therapists, even though that was currently the last thing that he wanted to do.

Jaehyun’s father had called Jaehyun early the next morning, wanting to speak to him. Jaehyun was nervous, not sure what the conversation was going to entail. He was worried that he had perhaps overstepped with you and his father had noticed, but upon sitting down and seeing his father smiling at him, he figured the issue wasn’t bad. “Jaehyun. You’ve been back for around four months now. How are you finding things here?” Jaehyun blinked, surprised.

“Oh. I mean, not much has changed. It's strange to see it from this more detailed side, I suppose.” Mr Jung nodded.

“I understand. I was hoping that you would be happy to take over sooner than I thought.”

“What do you mean?” Jaehyun asked curiously.

“You know I haven’t really told you everything, but I do want you to eventually take over the business. That’s why I want you to start sooner rather than later. I want to retire soon, Jaehyun. I let you do that infernal PhD because you insisted, but now you have to grow up. This business is the most important thing for our family, and you need to run it in my place. The sooner you can take on more responsibility, the sooner I can leave the business in your hands.”

“I… I’m surprised,” Jaehyun admitted honestly. “I assumed you wanted Taeyong to run things.”

“You’re my flesh and blood, Jaehyun,” Mr Jung said impatiently. “I would always want you to run the business, no matter what.”

“Blood over honour,” Jaehyun muttered, feeling his stomach turn. Jung’s lips curled.

“Yes, Jaehyun. It's about time you remembered that. Your mother always believed it, you know. She always knew you were going to take over.”

“You don’t have to bring her into this,” Jaehyun said irritably.

“She’s been dead a long time now, Jaehyun,” his father replied.

“Exactly.” Jaehyun retorted. “She never got to know me. Maybe if she had she wouldn’t have wanted me to be in charge. But we will never know,” Jaehyun scorned, just how he usually got when discussing his mother’s death. It was something that had been touched on lightly in his therapy sessions with you, but you had known not to push him on it, he wasn’t ready to open up about it yet. “Your mother raised you to be too soft,” Jung sneered. “I shouldn’t have allowed it. You _will_ take over the business. So you need to start acting your age and get on board. Because you’re going to find yourself in a very difficult situation if not,” Jung said, immediately dismissing Jaehyun, not wanting to speak to his son any longer. Jaehyun gritted his teeth and headed out. He couldn’t stand to be in the same room as his father for a second more.

* * *

You woke up, blissfully aware that Johnny was wrapped around you, his thick thighs encasing your body to his. It was quite a way to wake up. You didn’t like to compare, but Dongmin had been much leaner, still toned but not as muscly as Johnny was, and you had to say, you much preferred Johnny. Maybe you did have a type. You went to check your phone, seeing missed calls and messages from Sana.

**SANA: Helloooo**

**SANA: HI HI HI…**

**SANA: Y/N????**

**SANA: BABE…**

**SANA: WHERE ARE YOU??**

**SANA: I HOPE YOUR WITH THAT JOHNNY GUY CAUSE HE WAS FUCKING HOT WOOF WOOF BARRK BARRK**

**SANA: I’m going home with Yuta anyway, so see ya - Jaehyun said he would keep an eye out for u**

Your mouth twitched into a smile as you read Sana’s messages. You thought back, you didn’t remember seeing Jaehyun on your way out. Your head was clear, thanks to the alcohol you hadn’t drunk much of. You managed to slip out of Johnny’s grasp, your feet finding the floor as you tugged on a nightgown thrown on the floor and headed towards the kitchen, planning on making breakfast for the two of you. Just as you were starting on the bacon, you heard Johnny heading into the kitchen. You turned and smiled, your eyebrows dipping as you saw Johnny fully dressed in his clothes from the night before, looking extremely distracted. “Are you okay?”You asked, concerned. Johnny nodded. “Yeah, sorry, I just got a call from Mr Jung, I have to head back. I’m sorry. Raincheck?” He offered with a smile that was hard to resist. You nodded with a sly smile. “Definitely. You’ve got my number,” you said. Johnny grinned, offering you another quick wave as he rushed out of the apartment.

Even as you rang Sana to catch up on events of last night, your thoughts rested with Johnny, flittering briefly to Jaehyun as you wondered how his evening had gone. He really had looked extremely handsome, and you had surprised even yourself by telling him as much last night. You felt a twinge of disappointment when thinking about Johnny, especially knowing how good he had given it to you last night. You hoped you hadn’t done anything wrong, but you had no way of knowing - certainly if he didn’t text you. You sighed, barely noticing your bacon hissing loudly, burning in the frying pan. Now you knew why you didn’t get involved with 127 boys.


	4. zero to one hundred real quick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> warnings: kidnapping, mentions of sexual assault/rape, please be aware whilst reading! (I think the title sums it up 👀 )

You had got in from work, bone tired. The last thing you wanted to do was go over your notes from the day like you usually did.

A month had passed after the ball, and much to your disappointment, you hadn’t heard from Johnny, whose number you had typed into his phone. It wasn’t like you to want a man to text you, but you had liked Johnny enough that you hoped he would. Sana had just rolled her eyes when you had complained this to her, but she didn’t have any reason to complain, considering she was actually going on her second date with Yuta at the weekend.

Instead of reading your notes, you headed straight for the bathroom, yanking your towels out from the basket by your sink and dumping them on the floor in front of your roll-top bath, turning the hot water tap on. You tipped lots of bubble bath and various oils into the steaming water and stripped out of your clothes, chucking them in the laundry basket before pulling out your body wash and a sheet mask. You also turned on your speaker, playing some chilled music. You felt your body relaxing slowly already as you prepared, the steamy, bubbly water incredibly inviting. Just as the water reached high enough, you turned the water off, dipping your toe in to find it your perfect temperature. You slipped under the water, closing your eyes briefly, moaning at the feeling of the water, caressing your tired muscles. You were a firm believer in superficial self-care like pampering, and you were certainly feeling that.

Eventually, you got out of the water which had started to turn cold, your skin wrinkling in the water. You were feeling yourself, so you got changed in your favourite lingerie set, a black lacy bra and panty set with suspenders, and you tugged on your white silk nightgown over your body. You began brushing your hair in front of your mirror, humming lightly to the calm music in the background.

If the music hadn’t been playing, you might have heard the floor creep slightly, alerting to the presence of someone else in the apartment. But you didn’t.

If you hadn’t been reaching down to pull out your leave-in conditioner to run through your hair, you would have seen two men heading towards you in the mirror. But you didn’t.

If you hadn’t been frozen in shock, maybe you could have struggled, fought them off, but you didn’t, and they gagged you, a poison under the rag lulling you into a deep slumber as your world went black.

* * *

As you felt your eyes start to open, you realised your head was pounding, and you were gagged, tied to a chair. You struggled against it, but it was no use. You felt a panic start to rise in your chest, especially because you immediately noticed your white silk nightgown was strewn in pieces across the room, a dread filling your chest. You took in your surroundings, trying to see if there were any tell-tale signs as to your location, but nothing seemed to give any clues to you. It was an industrial building, a typical place for a kidnapping.

It was only a matter of time before something like this happened, you thought. You just wished you had been wearing something more appropriate. You struggled some more, but this attracted the attention of a guard near you. He looked at you with a smirk, striding over to you, tilting your chin up to him. “You’re quite a pretty young thing, Y/n. Yes, we know who you are. We know a lot about you, like who your clients are. A strange client list, that’s for sure.” You just glared your eyes to the man with all you could muster, hoping he would feel it. He just chuckled. “When my boss arrives, he’s going to question you. And then you’ll be in trouble,” he said. “And don’t think anyone will come and save you. You’ve already been here for over two hours. That chloroform really knocked you out,” he said. You felt your heart sink slightly at the fact you had been trapped for so long, and a little sliver of dread. You tried not to feel fear, but your brain was whirring - who was his boss? Whoever it was, you needed to formulate a plan to escape before he arrived - that might be your only chance.

You recalled everything you had been taught over your many years of self-defence, and, keeping a careful eye on the man in front of you who was sliding his hands on your skin, you twisted your hands in just the right direction, sliding them out of the rope. As the rope hit the floor, you leaned forward, and with all the strength you could muster, you slammed your head into his head, knocking him unconscious to the floor. You used your free hands to untie yourself from the chair as quickly as possible, hearing the shouts of the men from the other side of the room who started making their way to you. You finally got out of the chair, pulling the tape off your mouth, reaching the gun in the man's pocket and pulling out the gun, shooting one of the men who was coming towards you, a perfect leg shot, knocking him to the floor as he squealed loudly with pain.

The shots seemed to alert more men outside the building, so you shot the other guard making his way towards you and then rushed to the stack of crates in the corner of the building, hiding yourself so you could see what you were up against. Checking your gun, you only had 5 bullets left, and if you wanted to make it out alive, you would need to use them wisely. Just as you were about to make your move, 5 men burst in, wearing jackets you recognised. 127. You sighed with relief, a warmth rushing into your bones. Looking up, you realised you recognised two of the men; Jaehyun and Taeyong.

Just as you were about to reveal yourself, around 7 men followed in, with unknown marks. They clearly weren’t with the 127, and Jaehyun and the others immediately shot them, fighting between the two groups soon ensued. You tried to keep up with your eyes but you couldn’t keep track, your heart thudding out of your chest as you watched Jaehyun pull shot after shot, his expression cold and not the friendly one you had gotten to know over the last few months. You looked around. The man who had dropped unconscious closest to you had a huge trench coat on. Your body was starting to shiver, so you made to grab it, grabbing the attention of Jaehyun who moved to shield you. You tugged the coat on, and shot a man who was about to shoot Jaehyun, again in the leg. He looked back in shock, freezing. You moved towards him, trying to ignore him staring at your lack of attire. “We should go,” you said urgently. He nodded, grabbing your hand before shouting “let’s go,” to the other men, who all seemed unharmed, much to your relief. “Tae, I’ll take her back in my car, you guys go back in the jeep,” Jaehyun commanded. Taeyong nodded, glancing at you cautiously. You nodded, smiling for his benefit. He sensed your reassurance and headed off with the other men. Jaehyun led you to his car, opening the door for you and letting you in before shutting the door behind you. He got into the driver's seat just as quickly, immediately flooring it until they were well away from the building. “Are you okay?” He asked, through clenched teeth. You nodded shakily.

“Yeah, I think so.” You said. “How did you know where I was?”

“We were tipped off by some of the spies we have on this side of town. They told us a young woman had been brought here. Some of us headed straight for that building, the rest searched the homes of the top possibilities. Your home was the third house we found, and the lock had been broken,” Jaehyun explained.

“Thank you,” you said. Jaehyun shook his head, your words making him angry.

“Did any of them touch you?” Jaehyun snarled, his hands tightening around the steering wheel.

“I… They did touch me… I don’t think they… did that to me,” you said, as calmly as possible. You were trying to keep your body from shaking, you didn't want to appear weak, not in front of Jaehyun. “I’ll send for my doctor, and he can check on you. I’ll get Jungwoo to get a suitcase from your apartment too. You might not be able to go back, not until its safe.” Jaehyun said, putting his bluetooth in his ear and rapidly speaking to people on the phone to prepare. You tuned it out, staring out of the window as you tried to process what had happened. “Okay,” Jaehyun eventually said, breaking you from your stupor. “Thanks,” you eventually said gratefully. He waved his hand, disliking the fact you were thanking him when he was the reason you were in this mess in the first place. “There is one thing that bothered me, though.”

“Just one thing?” You teased. Jaehyun frowned. You realised now probably wasn’t the time to tease.

“You shot them all in the legs. At first, I thought it was because you were a terrible shot, but you hit them in the legs every time. Why?” He asked, his eyebrows knitted together.

“I’m not a killer, Jaehyun,” You said softly.

“I- I never said anything about killing…”

“I’ve been living in your world for a while now, Jae. It's hard not to ignore what goes on. It affects me too. When I got into this, I was trained in case anything like this ever happened. luckily, it didn’t. Until now. I’m racking my brains trying to figure out why,” you said. Jaehyun chuckled.

“I think I know why.”

“Why?” You asked curiously.

“I’m not gonna say. Best to keep you safe and clueless just a little bit longer.”

“Fine,” you huffed. A few minutes of silence followed as you pondered his words a little bit more, then he finally broke the peace. “We’re here.” Here just happened to be a dark and foreboding glass building, the kind that you certainly imagined a mafia boss’s son living in. You tried not to roll your eyes, and went to open the car door when Jaehyun locked it. You turned to look at him, eyes wide. He shrugged sheepishly. “Look. I know you’re used to taking care of people. Not only is it your job, you just seem to love helping people. Well, please, just this once, let me help you.”

“Jaehyun…”

“I know what you’re gonna say. You’re gonna talk about boundaries, and how you’re my therapist, and this may impact our relationship, yada, yada, but that ship sailed when those guys determined our relationship for us.” Jaehyun said, his body shaking with anger and frustration. He was right, of course. That was precisely the rant you were about to go down. “Please let me help you,” Jaehyun implored, looking into your eyes. You sighed.

“Fine. But if you think its gonna stop me from going to work, you’re wrong. You can just drive me. I mean… get someone to drive me. Cause I’m guessing you won’t be living here too. I’m sure you live in a mansion like your father.” Jaehyun shifted in the car seat uncomfortably. “What?” You asked suspiciously.

“I… I brought you to my place. I own the building. I live in the penthouse.”

“What?” You breathed, looking up at the expensive building once more in awe.

“I wasn’t about to send you off somewhere. I wanted to make sure you were okay myself. I don’t trust many people. And… well, I figured you would trust me more than some of my men that you’ve never even met.” You nodded.

“Well, that’s certainly true.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll have your own room.”

“I should hope so,” you replied with a raised eyebrow. Jaehyun flushed, blinking quickly.

“Let me get the door for you,” he said hastily, and before you could blink he was around your side of the car, opening the door and immediately scooping you into his arms. “Hey!” You protested, trying to scramble out of his grip and failing, your oversized trench coat failing to keep anything covered from Jaehyun, whose tell-tale flushed red ears indicated his embarrassment. “I knew you didn’t have any shoes. I figured if you looked like a damsel in distress it would be more believable. Otherwise, they may think you’re a hooker or something.” You scoffed at the idea, although you knew the black set you were wearing certainly didn’t scream kidnapped therapist, something which Jaehyun was CERTAINLY not trying to look at too much. You tugged the trench coat further over your body and let Jaehyun whisk you up to his penthouse suite, in his private elevator, no less.

* * *

The doctor was waiting for you when you stepped into the apartment, a huge open space with large glass windows overlooking the city. The doctor led you into the spare room whilst Jaehyun waited for you in the open dining area, making calls to various people, including his father who had wanted an update. “Keep her safe for now, Jaehyun. She might still be in danger,” his father warned.

“I will.”

“Good. We’ll try and get to the bottom of this. I’ll let you know what we can dig up,” he said before hanging up. Jaehyun sighed, about to call Taeyong when the doctor came out alone. Jaehyun raised his eyebrows, commanding an answer from the man. He shook his head. “There was no evidence of sexual assault. But she’s shaken up. You should keep an eye on her, Mr Jung. She isn’t used to this world like you are.”

“I know,” Jaehyun said, running a hand through his hair. You came out of the room, with the trench coat still on. The doctor nodded at you both before heading out. Jaehyun scanned you once again, but saw none of the distress that the doctor implied. You were good at hiding things, that was for sure. “Let me get you some of my clothes whilst we wait for Jungwoo to arrive with your stuff. It shouldn’t be too much longer. I can run you a bath if you like?” Jaehyun asked. You felt a warmth in the pit of your stomach at his kind words. “Thanks,” you said simply. He nodded, beckoning you to follow him. You followed him to the master bedroom, another huge room with navy and brown hues, a real man’s room. He headed straight for the built-in closet, pulling out a large t-shirt and some sweats, which you accepted gratefully. “You can change in here whilst I run you a bath,” he said, his hand going to the back of his neck. His eyes lingered on your lingerie just a second more before he turned to go back to the ensuite you had spied with the doctor earlier which had a deep bathtub that you were looking forward to dipping your toes into. You changed out of the clothes quickly, tossing the ruined items into the bin in the corner of the room. You looked in the mirror on the closet doors, examining your reflection. You had a little cut on your forehead which the doctor had cleaned for you, but other than that, you could see no evidence of what had just happened. There were scraps on your arm, but you knew a bath would soothe them. You looked more tired than usual, and you felt exhaustion weighing on you. The clothes looked big on you, but smelt comforting, like a forest. That must be Jaehyun’s scent, you thought. A small knock shook you from these thoughts, you headed to the door to see Jaehyun look you over, an expression you didn’t recognise on his face. He guided you back to the bath, where you could smell various salts and wonders in the water. “Goodnight, then. Let me know if you need anything, okay?” Jaehyun said. You nodded. He shut the door, and you felt your shoulders deflate as you headed for the enticing water.

It was funny - it seemed like years ago that you had been sitting in your own bath to relax, and yet here you were, merely hours later doing the same thing, trying to wash away previous events. You weren’t in the bath that long, pulling the sweats back on and drying your hair. You found a suitcase sitting on the bed when you came back into the room, your heart bursting to see your phone and laptop among other clothes, including work attire and your nightgown in the case. You took the latter part out first, stripping off Jaehyun’s sweats to put on your familiar nightgown, then you took your phone charger and phone out of the suitcase before leaving it on the floor, ignoring the rest. You plugged your phone into the socket near the nightstand, leaving all your messages unread for the evening as you attempted to go to sleep.

* * *

Your night was restless, and you found yourself unable to sleep, fear and panic presenting themselves constantly in your mind. An errant thought kept crossing your mind, that you should go to Jaehyun’s room, but as soon as it crossed your mind, you decided against it. You glanced at your phone and saw it was 2:30 am. If you continued like this, you weren’t going to get any sleep.

You sighed, getting out of bed and trudging towards Jaehyun’s room. You didn’t like to ask for help, especially not from your patients, but you knew that part of your relationship died as soon as you got in Jaehyun’s car. You knocked nervously on the door, and heard a fumbling noise immediately, footsteps padding towards the door. The door opened, and you saw Jaehyun in a tight white t-shirt and pyjama bottoms, looking like he hadn’t slept much either. “Hey. Are you alright?” He asked you, concerned. You shook your head nervously.

“I… I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about them just sneaking into my house like that. I was wondering… I was wondering if I could just sleep in here. I’d feel a lot safer knowing you were there as well.” Jaehyun’s eyes softened.

“Of course you can. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“No, no, no,” you said hastily. “I don’t want to deprive you of your bed.”

“You’ve been through a lot. Just take the bed, Y/n.” You looked at the bed before looking back at Jaehyun, whose expression was blank. “That’s the biggest bed I have ever seen. Can’t we just share?” You asked pragmatically.

Jaehyun’s lips twitched into a smile. “Its a bit cliché, but sure. I sleep on the right.”

“That’s lucky. I usually sleep on the left,” you said with a small grin. Jaehyun’s lips twitched again, clearly amused. You tried to not let it irk you as you headed for the left side of the bed. “No funny business,” you said pointedly. Jaehyun held a hand to his chest.

“Scout’s honour,” he said solemnly, offering you a mock salute. You rolled your eyes, feeling much better already, soothed by Jaehyun’s presence. As soon as your head hit the pillow, you fell asleep.

You woke up to a huge man wrapped around your body and you gasped before realising it was Jaehyun who was snoring softly in your ear, his legs tucked neatly between yours and his hands resting under your ribcage. It felt warm and comforting, but you knew you had to talk to Jaehyun. You strengthen your resolve and tried to worm out of his grasp, but he only pushed himself closer to you, and you felt his hard cock pressing into you. “Nope,” you gasped out, finally freeing yourself from his grip and practically leaping away from him, only to see him fall back asleep. You rolled your eyes. Of course, he was a heavy sleeper. You tip-toed back into your room, the adrenaline finally starting to fade. You didn’t need to deal with _that_ right now.

* * *

Jaehyun knocked on your door about twenty minutes later, poking his face around the door. “Hey. Do you want some breakfast? I can cook us something,” he suggested. You smiled, grateful. “Yeah, that would be great. I’ll be out in a bit,” you said. He nodded, heading back out towards the kitchen. You got dressed, tugging on the first clothes you found in the bag and followed him to the kitchen, where the smell of eggs and bacon was filling the room. You sat down on the chair, not saying anything to fill the comfortable silence, and recognised Jaehyun doing the same. You liked that about him. He was thoughtful and liked the quiet. You were similar in that way. He placed the food in front of you, a steaming plate of goodness which you accepted gratefully and began to eat straight away. Eventually, you felt the need to speak as Jaehyun began to eat his own food, sat opposite you. “Look, Jaehyun,” you started, scooping egg into your mouth before swallowing it. “I think it would be best if I stopped being your therapist. I think we’ve gone through a lot together, but we’ve gone past our normal boundaries, like you said. So I think Sana should take you from now on.”

“Is this because of you being kidnapped?” Jaehyun asked, his expression blank.

“Partly. But partly because I think it would prove to this rival gang that I don’t mean anything, and they will back off for good. They’ll see it for what it is.”

“For what it is,” Jaehyun echoed.

“Yes. I get what you were trying to say last night. They maybe thought we were something more than just therapist and patient. I won’t let them ruin my reputation, or hurt me personally or anyone I work with. That’s just not why I do this.”

“You’re worried about your reputation?”

“Aren't you? This effects you too.” You reminded Jaehyun.

“Not really. I can deal with the heat. I guess its different for you. This is your livelihood.”

“Exactly. We just need to turn the temperature down. Sana is great, I’ve trained her myself, and I know she will be a good therapist for you, Jaehyun.” Numerous emotions flitted across Jaehyun’s face as he processed your words. “Ok. If you think it’s the best solution. I trust you.” You smiled at the sincerity in his words.

“Thank you. I’ll get going.”

“Where?”

“I have a job, Jaehyun,” you reminded him. He scoffed.

“Obviously. I’ll drive you. I’m not letting you out of my sight until we know who did this and I can protect you.” You rolled your eyes.

“That's very chivalrous of you, Jaehyun, but I don’t need it…”

“I don’t care. This is my fault. Please let me make it right,” Jaehyun implored. You sighed, nodding.

“I guess since I’m not your therapist anymore it’s okay if I stay here for a little while.”

“Exactly. I’ll get the car.”

* * *

The drive to your work was a quiet one, when a thought occurred to you. “I have a meeting with my therapist on Friday. I’m gonna need to pick up my car, its a long drive,” you explained. Jaehyun nodded immediately. “Of course. I’ll get one of my guys to drop it round. Just give me your car keys.” You tugged them out of your bag, leaving them in the centre console.

“Can I ask you a favour? You can say no, and I won’t mind. But I’m only asking because I want to keep you safe,” Jaehyun explained nervously. You nodded, curious.

“Okay. I’m listening.”

Jaehyun took a breath. “I was wondering if I could put a tracker on your phone, just so I can know where you are, in case anything were to happen. It would work even if your phone was turned off.” You frowned, thinking about it. Jaehyun wasn’t trying to possess you, that much was obvious. He just wanted you safe, you knew that, his nervous energy only reinforced that in your mind. And it wasn’t like you were going anywhere that you would hide from him. “It would only be until we find out who kidnapped you. We think it was the Snakeskins, but we aren’t sure yet.” Jaehyun added. You sighed. You knew it was for the best - even if you didn’t like it. You needed his help, that much was clear. You wouldn’t have been able to get out of there last night in one piece without the 127. “Okay,” you said firmly. Jaehyun smiled, happy that you knew you could trust him.

“Okay. I’ll do right by you, Y/n, I promise,” Jaehyun said, reiterating your words from your first meeting. You smiled, the familiar sentiment putting you completely at ease.


	5. stalker much?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi 🥺 i know its been a while and I was feeling a lil guilty so here's the next chapter xoxo

As soon as you stepped into the office, you were bombarded with hands around your waist, tugging you into a warm embrace. You flinched at first, but found it was just Mark, who had clearly been anxiously waiting for your arrival. “Y/n,” he sobbed into your shoulder, hugging you tightly. “Taeyong called me this morning and told me everything. I can’t believe it. Are you alright?” He asked, pulling back to read your expression. You nodded gratefully.

“I will be, Mark. Thanks for caring.”

“You shouldn’t be in work,” he scolded. “You should be at home, resting.”

“I’m fine,” you assured him. “Physically, anyway. I wanted to come to work. I knew it would take my mind off things,” you explained. Mark sighed.

“I don’t think it's a good idea, Y/n. But I know you’re basically the good samaritan so I’m not gonna kick up too much of a fuss. But if you feel like its too much, just text me, okay?” He implored. You nodded. “I will. I promise,” you said, squeezing his hand.

“Sana’s waiting for you upstairs,” Mark said grimly. You raised your eyebrow.

“Why do you say it like that?” You asked curiously. Mark shrugged, but there was a faint twinkle in his eye.

“You’ll see.”

“I hate surprises,” you grumbled, heading up to your office where you found a beautiful sponge cake sitting on your desk, with the words ‘sorry you got kidnapped’ written on it. You snorted with laughter, imaging the horror of whatever baker was forced to produce the monstrosity (and so quickly as well.) Sana was sat in your chair, examining you, but you just ran up to pull her into a hug, largely so she couldn’t see your expression. “I’m okay,” you assured her.

“I know. You’re a strong cookie. I would expect nothing less.”

“Thanks for the cake,” you said, pulling away to admire the baked good once again. Sana laughed.

“I hoped it would cheer you up.” You grinned.

“I’m sure this sugary goodness will do nicely.”

* * *

The little glass shaped mirror resting just above the floor in the corner of your office was, in fact, a small window that opened into Sana’s office. She didn’t know about it, and you had no plans on mentioning it since if she opened it she would hear everything that happened in your office. And you didn’t need the mobsters thinking you were unprofessional.

Why you were on the floor with your ear in Sana’s office was completely professional. You just wanted to see how Jaehyun’s first session was. You were jealous that Sana had taken him from you, even though you knew it was for the best. Heck, it was your plan. It didn’t mean you didn’t want to hear what was being said in the room.

“So, Y/n has given me your file. I’ve read over everything, and I’m happy with the work you two have made over the last few months. The last thing I want to do is to stifle that, so please, I hope you can talk to me about anything.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“I know a change in this way is difficult, especially given how well you both got on. How do you feel about it?”

“I’m disappointed, naturally. I think the idea that she could have been hurt because of me is probably more painful, though.”

“I can see that. I think you two had a close relationship.”

“I know. I feel responsible.”

“You shouldn’t. They shouldn’t have used her against you. It’s normal to care about people in your life, including your therapist. I don’t want you to think this means you can’t have a similar friendship with me. I don’t want you to be distant.”

“I understand. I will try not to be. My father is putting measures in place to make sure you are both safe.”

“Good. That’s a good thing. I’m not worried, not at all. I just want to help. That’s all Y/n and I have ever wanted to do.”

“That’s why it’s so difficult. Neither of you deserve to get hurt because of this stuff.”

“Everyone deserves help, Jaehyun.”

“I know. Thank you. For everything.”

“Don’t worry about it. Thank you for looking after us. There is one thing I noticed about your meetings with Y/n though. You didn’t really talk about romantic relationships that much. I just wanted to talk about that a little.” You heard Jaehyun shift in his seat. It was a surprising question to you, but you were sure Sana had her reasons for asking it.

“Well. I haven’t had any romantic relationships really. I invited one girl back to my place that my father set me up with, but I wasn’t really interested.”

“How come?”

“Well, I did fall for a woman about 3 months ago.” You thought back, your stomach turning. It was around the time you had started to see Jaehyun, and he had fallen for someone then... and yet he had never mentioned her. “Ah. I see. Have you had romantic relations with her?”

“No, not at all. It’s a... professional relationship.”

“Someone you work with?”

“Something like that.”

“So you haven’t told her how you feel?”

“No. I think... our relationship has changed though. I think maybe I might... try and court her I guess.”

“Court her? Is it the 18th century?” Sana teased. Jaehyun laughed. You missed that laugh, and you felt a twinge of jealously that it wasn’t you making him laugh like that.

“I guess. I just never had the chance before. I like the idea that I could maybe see her now. Treat her like I’ve wanted to for so long.She deserves it.”

“She sounds pretty special to you,” Sana noted.

“She is.”

“I’m sure it helps that you don’t have to hide your lifestyle from her, too.”

“Definitely. That’s why I’ve never been that interested in pursuing relationships. I mean sure, when I was in college I dated a little, but it was mostly just casual hookups. I couldn’t tell them what my family did for a living and I didn’t really have the energy to try and care. I guess this is different.”

“She already knows you, to some extent.”

“Yeah. I don’t think she thinks of me in a romantic sense though.”

“Hence why you feel the need to court her,” Sana prompted.

“You’ve got it. I guess I have to start by allowing her to see me in a new light.”

“That’s a good first step. You can test the waters, see how she feels about you without the pressure of your professional relationship.”

“Can you suggest some ways I could do that?” Jaehyun asked. At that point, you heard a knock on the door, scrambling up from your position on the floor to answer the door.

“Yes?” You hissed at Mark who was standing outside the door. He raised an eyebrow at your dishevelled state, but didn’t mention it.

“Your half four is here. Shall I send him in?”

“Send him in 2 minutes,” you said, trying to shut the door in Mark’s face as politely as possible before dashing to the small window and quietly shutting it. You had quiet had enough of snooping for one day.

* * *

“What is wrong with me,” you moaned, your head in your hands. “I shouldn’t be snooping on other people, should I? It’s wrong. So very, very wrong.”

“I mean, a lot of what you do is wrong. Giving therapy to the mafia, for instance,” Mark said dryly.

“Keep your voice down,” you hissed, looking around at their usual bar, but luckily his words had not been overheard.

“I’m just saying. It’s not like your a saint,” Mark chuckled.

“I am… constantly questioning my morals, that’s true. But I don’t think I am a bad person! Just someone that wants to help everyone, no matter who they are. I mean, look at Jaehyun. He’s hardly like his father, is he?” You reasoned.

“Certainly not. Jaehyun looks like he has a huge-”

“ANYWAY. That is not the point,” you said quickly, feeling your face heat up slightly.

“Well. It’s _a_ point. The point, in this case, is that you shouldn’t spy on your ex.”

“Ex?”

“Ex patient. Obviously,” Mark said, rolling his eyes.

“Well, there were better ways of saying that,” you said stiffly.

“Sure. The good thing is now he’s not your patient you could climb that. And boy, would I if I were you,” Mark said dreamily, sipping his martini.

“I’m currently living with the guy, for god's sake. I can’t just fuck him in his own house,” you spluttered. Mark’s eyes widened into a smirk.

“But you were thinking about it, weren’t you? I KNEW you had a thing for him!” He said triumphantly. You shook your head frantically.

“No, no no, its nothing like that. I just… YOU started it.” You said petulantly.

“Maybe you need some therapy. Y/n. When was the last time _you_ got laid?”

“I’ve only just broken up with Dongmin,” you said defensively, although you knew it had been a while now since your split.

“That was like a month ago. You’ve been single longer than you were actually dating him now,” Mark exclaimed.

“I hooked up with Johnny too!” You added, your chin held high. Mark grinned.

“True. Why didn’t you call him?” He asked. You shrugged, not knowing what to say.

“I don’t know. I just didn’t want to get invested, I guess. I don’t want to bone anyone at the moment, though.”

“You wanna bone Jaehyun.”

“Mark!” You scolded. “I know things about him that you probably wouldn’t tell someone you were dating. It makes you vulnerable. That’s why people don’t date their therapists.”

“Fine, fine, fine,” Mark said dismissively, knowing that you weren’t about to break your moral code on _that_ issue, despite the obvious feelings Mark felt you were showing. “You better bone someone though, sheesh. Don’t make your job your life, okay? Remember you’re not _actually_ in the mafia. You can have a normal life if you want to,” Mark said. You sighed, taking a long sip of your wine before answering.

“I know. I know. You’re right. Once I’m back in my apartment, I’ll go on a date with someone or something. Maybe I’ll call Johnny.” Mark nodded in approval.

“I’ll drink to that!” You clinked your glasses together before you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. Putting your wine down, you pulled out the buzzing device, and saw some texts from Jaehyun.

**J- Hey, I just stopped by your office but you weren’t there. Where are you?**

**J- I’m guessing you're with Mark. What time shall I pick you up later?**

**J- I was gonna suggest we go out for dinner rather than eating in :)**

The smiley face was extremely endearing, and the messages made your heart flutter. You hadn’t realised Mark had been reading the messages over your shoulder gleefully. “Oh my god. You have to go for dinner with him. Text him back and tell him to meet us here, and you can go from here. You can pay the bill, before you go.” You laughed, texting Jaehyun back with Mark’s suggestion. He replied instantly.

**J- Great. I’ll be there in 5!**

You headed over to pay for the bill when a thought occurred to you. You paid and headed back to Mark, giving him a small twirl before asking “do I look okay, though? I just finished work, after all,” you asked anxiously. Mark tilted his head, examining you. “Ditch the cardigan and let your hair down. Then you’ll look perfect.” You nodded in agreement, tugging your lilac cardigan off and shoving it deep into your bag before untying your hair from the bun you had stored it in that morning. You also pulled out a lipstick from your purse and swiped it across your lips, much to Mark’s surprise. “Going all out, are you?” He said with a smirk. You blushed.

“I just know Jaehyun will probably have somewhere fancy in mind. I don’t want to stand out.”

“Sure, sure,” Mark said. Just as he spoke the devil appeared. Mark stood up, shouting Jaehyun’s name across the room, much to everyone’s embarrassment. He headed over, scratching the back of his head. “Hey Mark, Y/n,” he said politely, nodding to your receptionist.

“Hi, Jaehyun. It's nice to see you. I mean, I saw you earlier. But it's still lovely. Always is,” Mark said cheerfully. You stared at Mark, who was laying it on a little too thick for your liking. You hadn’t noticed the way Jaehyun hadn’t noticed Mark and was staring at you a little too closely. Instead, you just saw him smile at Mark. “Thanks. Have you guys paid for your drinks? I’ll get them if you like,”

“That’s alright, I’ve already settled it,” you interrupted. “We’ll see you later Mark,” you said, grabbing your bag hastily and beckoning Jaehyun to lead the way. He looked at you, his eyes filled with amusement. “Sure, see you later, have fun!” Mark shouted as you left.

You groaned with embarrassment. “I don’t know why I ever go out with Mark. He always draws attention to himself and those around him,” you muttered darkly. Jaehyun laughed, leading you out and opening his car door for you, being conveniently parked outside of the bar. The ride over to the restaurant was pleasant, with small talk filling the silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, you had never felt more comfortable than when you were with Jaehyun.

* * *

As you had predicted, Jaehyun took you to a fancy restaurant, one you had never been to. It looked incredibly intimidating, with a huge water fountain outside and a queue stretching around the block.

You raised an eyebrow at Jaehyun, who just grinned, taking your hand and having a quick word with the doorman who immediately let you both in. You didn’t dare ask what he said, knowing he probably used the m-word (mafia… or mob… either-or,) and you felt your heart rate spike to unusually high levels. Then you saw the beautiful decor, covered in cherry blossoms, your favourite, you felt instantly relaxed. In fact, Jaehyun had a way of making you feel relaxed, like he knew you. You felt a little vulnerable like you were seen.

You sat down, and had an extremely pleasant meal, opting for a duck confit which melted in your mouth. You weren’t used to such finery, that was for sure, and Jaehyun could tell, beaming at the compliments you paid the food and the restaurant. “My dad used to take my mom here a lot,” Jaehyun explained, a wistful expression on his face. You looked at him curiously. He had never really spoken about his mother before. You didn’t want to pry or ask questions, in case he thought you were going into therapist mode, so you took a sip of your expensive wine instead. “My mom would have liked you, I think,” Jaehyun said ruefully. You smiled, looking up.

“What makes you say that?” Jaehyun’s lips twitched into a smile.

“My mom was very kind. Unfailingly kind, really, from what people said about her when she was around. I think it was something everyone underestimated about her. She would have seen that in you.”

“You think I’m kind?” You asked, surprised. Jaehyun nodded with a small smile.

“I do.”

“I’m not sure everyone would agree with you,” you said. Jaehyun just shrugged, sipping his own drink slowly.

“Doesn’t really matter what others think. I’m just telling you what I see.”

“Thank you,” you said softly. Jaehyun smiled widely back.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, scooping food into his mouth, so nonchalantly like his compliment was just a normal thing to say. “My mum… she was like you in that she wasn’t born into the mafia world. My dad met her at a show in Vegas. The burlesque dancer and the mafia boss. It doesn’t exactly scream a match in heaven,” Jaehyun said with a chuckle.

“What happened then?” You asked, your curiosity getting the better of you.

“She divorced my dad first. That was pretty messy. I could have done without that. Then she was in a car accident a few years later and died. I hadn’t seen her for nearly a year when she died. My father had refused to let me see her.” You tutted sympathetically.

“I’m sorry, Jaehyun. That’s awful. He should have let you see her,” you said. Jaehyun nodded sadly.

“I know. I can’t change the past, though. It’s just another reason to add to the ever-growing list of why I hate my father,” Jaehyun said with a twisted smile.

“Well… I get that,” you said, not wanting to elaborate much further. His father wasn’t exactly top on your friend's list, either.

“You treat him though… is he… never mind. I shouldn’t ask,” Jaehyun said hastily. You just shrugged.

“I think your father wants to do the right thing. But I think he lets the power of his position get the better of him sometimes. I’m glad he has you, though. You’re so much more level headed. If he wants you to take over, he must know that you will be a good fit,” you explained.

“I don’t know if that’s why he thinks I should take over,” Jaehyun muttered darkly.

“What do you mean?” You asked curiously.

“I think he cares more about blood. It's thicker than everything, after all. He just wants his only son to carry on the _family_ business. Otherwise, he would have let Taeyong run things. And sometimes, I wish he would. He’s much more involved in things than I am, and to be honest, I would like to be less involved,” he said, his eyes much darker as he pondered over the family business.

“You don’t have to let your father control you, Jaehyun,” you said softly. Jaehyun looked up, searching for something in your expression, but you weren’t sure what.

“I don’t want him to,” Jaehyun admitted. “I do want to find out what’s going on. I think whoever kidnapped you did it on purpose, and I’m sure my father had something to do with it.” Your stomach turned inwardly at the thought. “I will find out who did it, Y/n,” Jaehyun said fiercely, reaching out for your hand over the table. You jolted at the touch, electricity flooding your veins. “Thank you,” you managed to whisper. The moment was soon broken by the waiter coming over to collect your plates.

* * *

The drive over to your hometown was peaceful, and you felt a kind of serenity you hadn’t felt since the kidnapping. You weren’t sure why, but you were sure it had something to do with Jaehyun, and you knew Son Yejin would help you get to the bottom of it.

Yejin had been your therapist since you were very small, one of your mum’s friends, and whilst you hadn’t seen as much of her since moving away, you still stayed in touch, often communicating through Zoom calls rather than travelling over there. Of course, you could (and maybe should) have done that today, however, you really felt you needed space and a face-to-face conversation.

You headed up to the ninth floor where Son Yejin’s office was, feeling a little bit nervous. The receptionist smiled at you, asking your name which you gave, and she offered you a seat. You sat down, noticing how the polished receptionist was observing you. It was a Wednesday, so you had chosen to wear your work attire, knowing that you were likely to head over to your office after your session, but the scrutiny from the receptionist made you wish you had maybe donned more casual clothes. You sighed, trying to ignore it. You glanced at your phone, only to see texts from Chaeryeong which surprised you.

**C- Hey, Y/n** ❤️ **I hope you are doing better** 🥺 **Taeyong told me what happened and I feel sick!! Ur one of us!!! If I could kill the person who hurt you myself I would!!** 🔪 **Text me, whenever you need ANYTHING, day or night xoxo**

**C- I know Jaehyun and Taeyong are doing everything in their power to stop whoever hurt u. I know jaehyun was especially shaken up! He really cares about you** 🥺 **xoxo**

You stared at the messages until Yejin came out of her office, smiling at you. “Hey Y/n, come on through,” she said, waving you in. You stood up, cautiously looking at the receptionist who was still staring at you. You shook it off and followed Yejin into her office. You sat opposite Yejin, folding your hands politely as she looking at you, examining your facial expressions, most likely for signs of trauma, you were sure. “How are you, Y/n? I couldn’t believe it when your mother told me what happened to be honest.” You sighed, running a hand through your hair.

“I think I’ve been hiding how I’ve been feeling. I’ve been staying with Jaehyun, you know. And I didn’t… I didn’t want him to see my being vulnerable. So I kept how I was feeling hidden.”

“And how are you really feeling?” Yejin asked.

“I… I think I am scared. I keep thinking about what could have happened,” you said, your voice being reduced to a whisper. “They invaded my space,” you continued. “they came into my home… and now I just don’t really feel safe. I was lucky that they didn’t hurt me, I dread to think what could have happened. I feel sick when I even think about it. But part of me thinks… well. I just think... who am I to feel like this? I don’t deal with this kind of stuff every day like some of my patients. They deal with a lot tougher shit than me and yet they keep going. Who am I to have a breakdown over this? I shouldn’t. I can’t. I need to be strong…”

“For who?” Yejin asked.

“For... them, I guess,” you said uncomfortably, already seeing the holes in your own narrative.

“I know you already know better. Everyone deals with stuff - but everyone deals with it differently. Do you think two people going through the same stuff deal with it the same? I have two patients that are getting divorced, one wants to kill themselves and the other is buying themselves a new condo and just spent a cool half mill on a new car. And their divorces on paper are pretty similar, but I won’t go into details. The truth is, your experiences are entirely your own, and it’s up to you to deal with them how you need to. You're not in the mafia, so why should your kidnapping leave you feeling anything less than petrified? I’m not even sure how I would deal with something like that.”

“I guess I deserved it because of my clientele,” you sniffed.

“No one deserves to be kidnapped,” Yejin assures you firmly. “You did something that no one does: you showed empathy to those who needed it probably more than most. In fact, I know full well that they would lay down their lives for you. Actually, I got a phone call from Jaehyun earlier asking for advice about you - he wanted to make sure that you would be okay, and feel as safe as you could at his house.” You stared at Yejin in shock.

“Wait... what?”

“He rang earlier. Lord only knows how he got my number. He was overwhelmingly worried about you and I got the feeling that he would do anything he could to protect you.”

“Really?” You enquired softly, a small smile forming on your lips. Yejin nodded with a smile. You felt your stomach twist and the sudden urge to confess your spying.

“I made a mistake, Yejin. I eavesdropped on his first meeting with Sana. I know its wrong, but I just couldn’t help myself. I felt… absurdly jealous. I’ve never really felt like that before.”

“That’s quite an intense reaction to losing a client,” Yejin noted. You nodded, hesitating before continuing.

“I think it maybe goes deeper than that. I was really afraid before so I pushed it aside, I mean, when I first met Jaehyun I had a boyfriend, but then I didn’t… but he was still my client. I guess things are a little different now,”

“And you’re living with the guy,” Yejin pointed out.

“Exactly. I think… I would like our relationship to move past a professional one to a more personal and genuine friendship. I like Jaehyun. He’s not like my other clients. He doesn’t want to be in the Syndicate,” you explained carefully, not wanting to divulge any of his secrets. “But I’m nervous about how all of this will change. I mean, I don’t want things to change too much. I don’t want him to worry about me.”

“It's interesting that you’re more concerned about how it could change your relationship than the kidnapping itself,” Yejin said curiously.

“I… I care about Jaehyun a lot.” You admitted. Yejin nodded with a smile.

“I can see that. It's okay, you know. We are human, after all. He’s not your client anymore, so you're not bound by any rules.”

“Just the ones I’ve created for myself,” you muttered. Yejin laughed.

“Well, we always knew your moral code was a little off. You’re kind of like batman, aren’t you? Helping the bad guys, but GOD FORBID you grow too attached.”

“I don’t think batman was like that…”

“He still had his code though. He could beat up bad guys till the cows came home, probably committing _manslaughter_ along the way, but he would never kill outright - cause that was TOO far. And boy, it's frustrating to watch that kind of shit. You just wanna bash his head in yourself and say, ‘get it together, Bruce. Just kill the Joker already!’ Christ,” Yejin ranted, rolling her eyes. You grinned at her passion. “Okay, I get it. I won’t let my own rules stop me from doing something I want to,” you said.

“Good. That’s exactly what I want to hear.”


	6. the AUDACITY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry this took so long... i got a full time job... and I'm still working my other job, so I've barely had time to breathe let alone write... i will try my best xoxo

You moved out of Jaehyun’s place the following week after he had explained all the new safety measures that had been put in place, including a fingerprint scanner than only had your fingerprint in it. It was strange, really. You felt like you hadn’t been staying there that long, and you felt a strange sort of hollowness now that you were alone in your apartment again. It felt a little safer, knowing all of the security measures that were in place, but you still felt strange.

The feeling didn’t go away, not whilst you were cooking dinner, trying to eat some food, and still didn't leave when you finally started getting ready for bed, tiredness creeping into your bones.

You slept for a little over an hour when you woke up again, and you sighed. You felt wide awake and knew you wouldn’t be getting back to sleep in a hurry.

You were just about to text Jaehyun, curious to see if he was awake when you saw the three little bubbles which indicated he was typing. Your heart clenched. You typed quickly, wanting to beat him to it.

**Y/N: _I’m guessing you can’t sleep either :)_**

He replied instantly.

**J: You guessed right. How come you’re awake?**

**Y/N: _I guess I got used to having someone else sleeping in the same house as me! I’ve never lived with someone other than my parents, so it was kind of strange._** ****

**J: Not even a boyfriend?**

**Y/N: _Nope. Dongmin wanted me to move in with him, but it was on the other side of town, in Snakeskin territory, so I wasn’t about to move over there. It would have been too much I think._**

**J: So you decided to break up instead?**

**Y/N: _Yeah… I like my work._**

**J: We’re lucky to have you, then!**

**Y/N: _True. And look what happens in return_** 😔

**J: It shows how valuable you are to us.**

That made you think. What if the Snakeskins had thought you were valuable in a different way? You hadn’t thought of that before. You called Jaehyun who answered immediately. “What’s up?” He asked casually as if you weren’t calling him at 2 in the morning. “I just had a thought. There’s no reason for the Snakeskins to think we were in a relationship. I was wracking my brains, and from what they said it seemed to be the only reasonable explanation. But what if… what if they thought I knew something? What if they thought I had been TOLD something? Doesn’t that seem more likely?” You pressed. Jaehyun paused, pondering.

“I did think about it. But it's not like they could expect you to know top mafia secrets. Unless they’ve been tipped off.”

“Is there a way you can find out?” You asked.

“I can try. We do have spies, as you know. But… I think I will keep this small. I’ll trust Taeyong, but not my father. I didn’t mention it, but he was very worried about your kidnapping. And now you’ve said that I’m wondering if maybe he was worried you told them something.”

“I have no idea what. I have never been told any specifics, for my protection against this situation.”

“I know. Have a think for me, anything from your meetings with him. If anything adds up… let me know.”

“Will do,” you confirmed. “Please be careful, Jaehyun. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I will. I promise.”

“Jaehyun… your world… its fifty shades of fucked up. My world… its ordered, it's perfect, it's clean. I’ve designed it that way. When I came into your world, just dipping my toes in, I became dirty. And now I’m in so deep I’m not sure I can find a way out. But then there’s you.”

“Me?” Jaehyun asked with surprise.

“You,” you repeated softly.

“I’m not so different from my father,” Jaehyun said bitterly. You chuckled at that.

“Trust me, Jaehyun. You are light years apart from your father.”

“… Thank you. Now, get some sleep. I’ll see you soon.”

“Night, Jaehyun.”

“Night Y/n.”

* * *

Jaehyun came over to your place the next morning before work, under the pretence of wanting to drive you to work, but something in his voice when he asked you on the phone had made you a little suspicious. You had quickly agreed without giving it a second thought. You answered the door, seeing his dishevelled form and beckoned him inside. “What’s the matter?” You asked him cautiously. “I feel like I’m hitting a wall with this whole thing, Y/n. I’m just so confused,” he said with a sigh, collapsing on your couch. You sat down next to him, patting his shoulder gently. “It’s okay, Jaehyun. I know you’re trying your best. That’s all I want.”

“You shouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place,” Jaehyun muttered back, blinking and not meeting your eye. “I’m so sorry, Y/n. I know my father wants to keep you out of all of this… it’s a dirty world,” he finally said.

“I know Jaehyun,” you said softly.

“I know you do. But… there’s stuff even I wish I didn’t know,” Jaehyun told you, carding a hand through his hair.

“You're not a bad person, Jaehyun,” you reminded him.

“I could have been,” Jaehyun admitted. “But recently… I feel like there’s someone who makes me want to be better.”

“Oh?” You teased, your eyebrows raised. Jaehyun smiled softly.

“Yeah.” You felt yourself leaning forward, your lips parting as you felt Jaehyun move closer to you, his breath tickling your face. Just as you were about to close the gap between you, your phone shrilled, making you jump away from Jaehyun in shock as you tugged out your phone, seeing your mother’s number on the screen. “Hello?” You answered hastily, trying not to sound as breathless as you felt, your mind racing at the mistake you may have just been about to make.

“Y/n… can you come home, please? Your father…”

“What happened?” You asked quickly.

“He… Y/n, he was in a car accident,” your mother said calmly, but you could hear her voice breaking. You breathed, your eyes filling with tears.

“Oh my god, is he alright?”

“He’s... well, stable... at the moment. But I think you should be here.”

“Okay, I’m on my way,” you said, hanging up before remembering Jaehyun was there. “Oh god, Jaehyun, I’m sorry. My father is in hospital, I have to go,” you said, your words coming out in a hurry as you rushed around your apartment, grabbing your coat, trying to tug it on, before realising it was inside out. “Your car is at mine, remember? Let me drive you,” Jaehyun insisted, grasping your wrist to get you to stand still. You stumbled, into his arms. You blinked looking up at Jaehyun who was flushed. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, pushing you away.

“It’s a 2-hour drive, Jaehyun,” you reminded him of where you were going. He shrugged.

“That’s nothing. I’m happy to, if it would help you,” Jaehyun said. You nodded, your brain on autopilot. He grabbed his keys. “Get a bag together, I’ll wait in the car,” he instructed. You nodded again, rushing to your room and stuffing clothes and toiletries into a bag. You were barely paying attention to what you were putting in, your mind running through the worst scenarios with your father. You pushed them aside, heading out with your bag, just remembering to lock your door as you headed to the car.

* * *

Jaehyun drove like a maniac. If you hadn’t known it before, you definitely did now. You felt like Bella in that one scene in twilight, and it was making you lose your mind. Maybe Jaehyun was a vampire? He was definitely attractive enough. He looked over at you at one point, and you felt the urge to scream “EYES ON THE ROAD,” but the words came out like a breathy whisper instead. “Relax, Y/n. If there’s anything useful I can do… it’s drive fast.”

“You know my father was in a CAR accident,” you reminded Jaehyun quietly. He then frowned, and you saw the speedometer slow down a little. Not enough for you to feel safe, but enough that you weren’t breaking the law, at least.

When you arrived at the hospital, Jaehyun commanded that you get out by the front entrance, saying he would catch up to you when he parked, so you clambered out of the car, rushing into the entrance to be met by a bored-looking receptionist. “Name?” She said, looking at you.

“Y/n L/n. My father was admitted after a car accident,” you said. She nodded, informing you of the room number. You hesitated, looking back to where Jaehyun was parking outside. “My husband is just parking the car. Could you tell him where I am when he gets in? His name is Jaehyun,” you told the receptionist who just nodded. You hoped Jaehyun would realise the lie was made so he would get to the right place, and rushed towards the room you had been told. After you had walked down a few corridors, you realised you had no idea where you were going. You were lost. Just as you were turning to the next corridor, Jaehyun bumped into you, steadying you on your feet immediately. “Hey, hey. He’s just round this corner, Y/n,” he said. You nodded gratefully.

“Thanks, Jaehyun. Oh wait, my car…” you trailed off, realising what this meant.

“It’s okay. I’ll wait here for you and then I’ll drop you home. Don’t worry, Y/n,” Jaehyun said, squeezing your hand gently. You sighed in relief, trying to keep the tears that welled up at bay. “Thank you,” you said, pulling him into a hug without thinking. You peck him quickly on the lips, saying “I love you,” and headed into the hospital room.

It was when the door shut behind you that you felt like ice had been chucked directly over your head. WHAT. THE FUCK. HAD YOU JUST SAID?! You had literally just kissed the guy and told him you loved him?? In one breath??? The freaking AUDACITY!! You felt sick to your stomach, and before you could even see your father, you turned back, seeing Jaehyun’s wide eyes trained on you. You hesitated, but knew if you left it a second longer it would be worse. You headed back out slowly, trying to form a sentence but not knowing how. “I… I’m really sorry, Jaehyun? That was such a weird mistake… I really don’t know where the hell that came from?” Jaehyun chuckled nervously., his ears red.

“It’s okay. Emotions running high, I guess.” You nodded quickly in agreement.

“Yeah. Can we just pretend that didn’t happen? I’m so embarrassed,” you confessed, your stomach still tied in knots. Jaehyun nodded fervently.

“Of course. Go and see your father, Y/n. I’ll be here. Take as long as you need.” You nodded gratefully, heading back in the room, not noticing Jaehyun’s heated gaze on your way in.

Your mother looked at you curiously as you ran your hand through your hair, your heart still racing. “Hi, sorry I’m late,” you said, your voice sounding strange to your own ears.

“It’s okay. Your father is still in a coma, but the doctors came and said he should be alright,” your mother said wearily. You could see how tired she was, the strong figure you had known from your childhood disappearing before your eyes. “That’s good,” you replied, striding over and placing your hands over your mother’s who looked up with a grateful expression.

“Thanks for coming, Y/n.”

“Of course,” you replied easily. You loved your father dearly, and to see him in pain was heartbreaking. “Can we just sit here for a while?” You asked your mother. She nodded, offering you the seat next to her, which you promptly took, your head resting gently in her shoulder as you watched your father, his eyes closed. Your heart felt very heavy.

* * *

You left the hospital with Jaehyun, who dropped you off at your mother’s house. You had begged your mother to come with you, but she had refused, wanting to stay at the hospital for a bit longer. You let her eventually and tried not to make the trip from the hospital too awkward.

“I’ll check the security around your mother’s house, but I think you should be alright,” Jaehyun explained on the drive. He had done just that when you arrived, letting you observe him quietly as he took a lap around the outside of the house, looking for any flaws in the house which could cause trouble. Luckily, the house was secure, as you had expected. Jaehyun came back into the house, drinking a cup of coffee, sat on the stool by the kitchen island. It was a very domestic scene, an odd contrast to who Jaehyun was - or at least what he did. It was strange to see him in the house you grew up in. “I can come and collect you whenever you want,” Jaehyun offered kindly. You shook your head immediately. “No, you’ve done more than enough, Jaehyun. I can catch the train back, or my mum can drive me, it’s not a problem,” you said firmly. Jaehyun stared at you, trying to decipher the emotions on your face, but not finding anything to be alarmed by. “Okay. Just call me if you change your mind,” Jaehyun replied. You nodded, grateful. You let him finish his coffee, and when he was done he headed out. You watched him walk out the door, and get into his car and drive away. You didn’t leave until his car was out of sight.

After Jaehyun had left, you called Yejin immediately, who picked up on the second ring.

“Y/n, hi. Your mother told me what happened, how are you?”

“I’m… well, a bit of a mess, really,” you said, trying not to sound to choked up.

“I get it. You’ve had a rough time of it, lately.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” you said with a chuckle.

“So, what’s your plan? Are you heading back tonight or staying with your mother?”

“I’m gonna stay with my mum for a while. Its… well, I needed to get away from the mafia stuff for a while,” you admitted. Yejin nodded understandably. “I get that. It can all feel a little overwhelming, right? But your father will be okay. And so will you. You’re stronger than you think, Y/n.”

“Thank you,” you murmured back. It was just what you needed to hear.

The next day you headed back to the hospital. You took your mother’s car, noting that she had stayed at the hospital all night (which you had guessed at, but it had been confirmed by the text she had sent at 1 am) It reminded you that even though your parents weren’t overly affectionate, they clearly loved each other. Your mom would do anything for your dad, and this only reminded you of that. You hoped someone could be that dedicated to you one day.

You arrived at the hospital and headed straight to your father’s room, successfully navigating the hallways this time successfully. Your father was awake, your mother’s hand firmly grasped in his. “Baby,” he said, his eyes lighting up and smiling widely as you came in. You felt your own smile rise, sitting opposite your mother and grasping your father’s other hand. “My girls,” he said softly. “You know, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you both. I want you both to have endless happiness. Especially you, Y/n. Your mother and I have been happy for over 30 years. We want you to find that, too,” your father said. You rolled your eyes. It wasn’t the first time he had expressed this opinion, and you weren’t surprised he was using his injury to his advantage. You just smiled sweetly. “Of course, dad,” you said. Your mother looked knowingly at your father.

“Who’s this Jaehyun boy then, hmm? He sounds like quite the man,” your father said, wiggling his eyebrows. You felt your face flush with embarrassment.

“He’s just a friend,” you said hastily. You then realised you had fallen into your father’s trap.

“Ah, but you care about him,” he chuckled. You sighed. Sometimes having two therapist parents made things difficult.

“Maybe. But it’s none of your business. Let me deal with things, okay?” You pleaded.

“Of course, Y/n. You’re your own woman. We just want you to be happy,” your mother assured you. You nodded, your throat thick.

“I love you both. So much,” you said, gently resting your head on your father’s lap. You were glad he was okay. For a moment, you forgot about everything else.

* * *

After a few days with your mom and dad, you decided to head back home. Your father was okay, and that was all that mattered.

Jaehyun had called you almost the second you had gotten into your house, much to your confusion. “How did you know I was home?” You asked curiously.

“Remember that tracker?” He reminded you. You frowned.

“What, you just happened to be checking it?”

“Nope. I’ve been checking it all day,” Jaehyun admitted. You laughed.

“Okay. What’s up?”

“Can we meet for lunch? I have something I want to discuss with you,” he told you.

“Of course. I need to go to the office to catch up on my work. Do you wanna go to the place opposite my work?”

“Sure. I’ll see you there at 1ish, is that okay?”

“Yeah that’s fine,” you said.

“I’ll see you then,” Jaehyun said, hanging up.

* * *

The morning flew by, the work that had managed to pile up on your desk in your absence taking up most of your time. By lunchtime, you found yourself across the table from Jaehyun, who was looking at you with a stern expression. “We found out how they knew about you, Y/n,” Jaehyun said grimly, scooping a mouthful of food into his mouth, building the suspense.

“How?” You asked curiously.

“It was Johnny,” Jaehyun said. “Turns out he is a spy for the Snakeskins,” Jaehyun explained. You gasped in horror.

“I SLEPT WITH HIM!” You screeched, realising that you were in a public place and Jaehyun shushed you, his eyes wide as he looked at the couple next to them who were looking over, looking very appalled. “I… I didn’t know that… when was that?” He asked you casually, as if he had been inquiring about the weather. “After the ball,” you admitted, ashamed.

“Did you invite him to your place?” He asked quietly. At first, you were gonna reuse to answer out of pride, but then you realised where his mind had actually gone. It had nothing to do with jealousy or any other personal thing. You nodded slowly, the pieces coming together. “Of course. That’s how he knew where I lived. Typical. The best sex I’ve had in a while and it turns out to be from a traitor,” you wailed, burying your face into your hands. Jaehyun’s jaw tightened a little, but he didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry,” he said eventually, not really knowing what to say.

“How did you figure out it was him, anyway?” You asked.

“We followed a paper trail. He had been leaving way too many footprints. Hacking into our servers, for one. Taeyong caught him on that one and called him out. The next day, he goes M.I.A, and we find a flash drive buried under a lot of stuff in his apartment, with details of the location of where you were kidnapped, along with some other details and plans. I won’t go into any more detail… but let’s just say I’m glad we found you when we did.”

“What a bastard,” you said scathingly, thinking of a hundred different ways to kill him if he ever showed his face again.

“He is. You can do much better,” Jaehyun informed you. You raised an eyebrow, noticing his ears flushing red.

“I’m going to murder him, slice him up and feed him to the dogs,” you hissed angrily, your hands balling up into fights.

“Okay, wildcat. Take a breath. As I said, he’s disappeared anyway, we don’t know where he is,” Jaehyun explained. Your eyes widened in horror. Before you could say anything, Jaehyun held up his hand. “Don’t worry. That’s why I’m here. I’m gonna stay with you until he’s found. I will not let anything happen to you, Y/n. I care about you too much,” Jaehyun admitted. Your heart clenched at his words, your anger dissipating very slowly. “I care about you too, Jaehyun. I don’t want anything to happen to you, either,” you reasoned. Jaehyun shrugged away your concern.

“I’ll track him down. And once I do, you will be the least of his concerns. I promise,” he assured you. You shivered, thinking about Johnny, and how you had really thought he had cared about you - but instead, he had just played you like a fiddle. It made you feel sick. “That’s why I don’t let people in,” you whispered, more to yourself than to Jaehyun. He looked at you with sympathy. “I… I should be the last person giving you romantic advice, but if I was I would say this… just because people let us down… doesn’t mean we should stop trying altogether. I think it just makes us more resilient. I will never stop trying. I want to find love. I want a lot of things, really. I want to give up the legacy my father wrote for me, I want to write my own future, and I want to be better than my father was to my mother. I want to love stronger, harder and I just want to be loved. I’m gonna be optimistic forever about all of it. Even if I get knocked down. It will just make me fight even harder,” Jaehyun said. You blinked. It was the most he had ever spoken about romantic love, and you found yourself spellbound by his words. “I… I don’t know what to say to that,” you admitted with a small laugh. Jaehyun shrugged, flushing slightly. “I hope you find everything you want, Jaehyun,” you eventually said. You liked his optimism, even if it was the opposite of how you felt most of the time.


	7. "we need to talk"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the delay! but let's get right into it; warning: smutty smut up ahead 😏

Your brain became a mushy mess after Jaehyun told you that Johnny had been responsible for your kidnapping. It brought back a lot of unwanted feelings, ones you would rather forget about.

You had dealt with many patients who had dealt with PTSD, especially members of the 127. You had never experienced it yourself, and after a long discussion with your own therapist, you were starting to deal with it. Johnny being responsible brought back a lot of bad feelings, ones you desperately wanted to push away. You weren’t going to let what happened to you stop you from being the best therapist you could be - and the only way you could do that was to deal with it in the healthiest way you knew. Your parents’ had both also checked in on you, especially your father, who, upon returning from hospital, was bed-bound for a few more weeks, and was obviously bored. “I’ve been working since I was 20, Y/n,” he complained on one phone call to you. “I hate this. I want to be working,” he moaned.

“I know dad. But you have to rest. You know that dad,” you reminded him.

“I know, I know. But still, there’s a lot I wish I could do.”

“Don’t worry dad. You’ll be back to it soon enough,” you reassured him. It was hard for him, you knew. “Well, the sooner the better. I want to get back to doing what I love,” he complained. You smiled. His passion for his job was a constant inspiration to you.

Later that evening, your phone buzzed shrilly whilst you were brushing your teeth getting ready for bed. You rinsed the toothpaste out of your mouth and looked at the caller ID, confused to see Jaehyun’s number. You hadn’t spoken to him in a few days, but you figured it must be important for him to call so late, so you answered. “Jaehyun… Are you okay?” You asked, concerned.

“Hi. I’m sorry to call you so late. I’ve been out so late. I’m coming over to yours now. We need to talk.”

You hesitated. “You know I’m not your therapist, anymore, Jaehyun. If you need someone to talk to-”

“I need a friend right now, Y/n, not a therapist,” Jaehyun explained impatiently. You didn’t hesitate for a second.

“Okay,” you quickly agreed. “I’ll leave the door unlocked.”

“Don’t.” Jaehyun said immediately. “I’ll ring when I’m right outside. Don’t answer the door to anyone else, okay? I’m 5 minutes away.”

“Okay,” you agreed. Jaehyun hung up and you were left staring at your phone. You quickly got dressed, pulling on some jeans and a top, throwing your hair into a messy bun, and not the cute kind of messy either, much to your disappointment. You were waiting patiently for your phone to ring again when it finally rang, with Jaehyun on the line. “Hey. I’m here,” he said quietly. You rushed to the door, opening it and wordlessly letting Jaehyun into your apartment, shutting the door behind him and locking it. “What’s wrong, Jaehyun?” You asked.

“It's about my father. I found out what he was doing, the reason the Snakeskins kidnapped you, and from the looks of things, it's not the only thing they’ve been doing. You were right. They were going to try and gain information from you. Or hoping to.” You looked at Jaehyun in surprise. Of course, you had thought it, but you had hoped it was just your hyper-imagination, or your desire to separate yourself from Jaehyun by thinking that wasn’t the reason for your kidnap. Now, your fears were confirmed, and yet it did nothing to help. “What information?” You asked timidly, not sure if you wanted the answer. Jaehyun picked up on this instantly.

“Do you want to know?” He asked. You nodded hesitantly.

“It's about my father, as we guessed. He… about 5 years ago, he killed a member of the Snakeskins gang. Luckily for my father, he was able to get away with it… until around a month ago, when his hand in the killing was discovered. There were whispers and rumours circulating at the time. I think they kidnapped you because they wanted to find whether it was true or not. What matters is they know now it is true, someone confirmed it.”

“Does your father know this?” You wondered.

“Yeah. I think he was worried that one of his men might have told you. I’m guessing you didn’t know?” Jaehyun asked curiously. You furrowed your brow, trying to think, but came up empty. “I’ve never been told anything that specific. Was it someone high up in the Snakeskins gang?” You asked. Jaehyun nodded grimly.

“It was their boss’s daughter.” Your eyebrows shot up in horror.

“Daughter?”

“Yes. She was 26.”

“… Why did he kill her?” You whispered, your stomach turning.

“I think he knew her, maybe they had been secretly seeing each other, I’m not sure. We haven’t been able to find out any of the details. I’ve let Taeyong dig with that one. The less I know, the better. What did happen is she was shot in the head by a car driving by, shot by who we think was my father.” You gasped.

“Oh my god,” you said, although the story rang familiar in your head, but you couldn’t quite place it.

“I know. We think they want revenge,” Jaehyun said sadly.

“Especially since… well, the daughter had a brother. He was tipped to be the next leader, but after his sister died… he turned cold. You’ve met him…” Jaehyun whispered. You gasped in shock, realisation in that you HAD heard that story once before. “Johnny is the son of the Snakeskin’s boss?”

“Yes, you’ve got it. I confronted my father about it and he thinks… I need to lay low until this sorts itself out. I’m his only son, after all.”

“Oh god. For how long?” You asked.

“Maybe a year.” Your eyes bugged out of their sockets, looking up at Jaehyun’s serious expression.

“A year? That is forever!” You complained.

“I know,” Jaehyun agreed. “But you know I’m not like them. I don’t want to get involved in this. I just want a quiet life,” Jaehyun said sadly, tears filling his eyes. You placed your hand over his comfortingly, trying to keep your own tears at bay. “if your safe… that’s what matters. When its all sorted… will you come back?” You asked. Jaehyun shook his head.

“I don’t think I can ever come back, here, Y/n. That’s why I wanted to see you before I go. I want to say goodbye,” he said, tears finally sliding down his face. “I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry, but I’ve been lying to you for a long time.”

You frowned, not expecting that. “What do you mean?” Jaehyun sighed, moving away from you, his eyes not meeting yours.

“I’ve been lying to you about my intentions,” he started, his breathing quick. “I never wanted you to be my friend.” You felt your heart break into a million pieces, moving your hand out of Jaehyun’s as you tried to keep your face blank. “I wanted you to be my girlfriend,” Jaehyun finished, his eyes sparkling. You looked up, shocked.

“What?” You said, your voice cracking. Jaehyun smiled.

“I love you, Y/n. More than I have ever loved anyone, more than I ever thought I was capable of.”

“You're capable of a lot of love, Jaehyun,” you reminded him softly. He beamed, preening at your compliment.

“Well. It’s all yours. My heart, everything. It's forever yours,” he exclaimed. You smiled, words failing you.

“Jaehyun. I love you. I’ve loved you for quite some time,” you said. Jaehyun looked at you with surprise. “How could I not love you? You have the kindest heart, Jaehyun, of course, I fell in love with it,” you said, leaning forward, cupping his cheek in your hand. He closed his eyes at your touch. It all fell into place then, the conversation with Sana, everything. It had all been about you. Of course, it had! How could you have been so stupid? If you had only known sooner, maybe you could have had more time together. “Say it again,” Jaehyun whispered. Your lips twitched into a smile. “I love you, Jaehyun,” you murmured into his ear. He made a small strangling sound, his body moving closer to you until your noses were almost touching.

“God. I love you,” he murmured, so close you could almost taste him.

You pressed your lips to him, and you felt the world stop around you. His lips responded to yours immediately, slowly intertwining with yours, his arms snaking around your waist until you were sat on his lap, your legs tightening around his back so there was no distance between you. You weren’t about to waste time when you knew he was leaving. Jaehyun moaned as you grounded your core into his lap, the friction feeling so good as the simple kiss heated into something more. He held you tighter, letting you do whatever you wanted as you slid your tongue into his mouth, tasting him like a drug you couldn’t get enough of. You felt him hardening underneath you and sought to take advantage of that immediately, leaning down and unbuttoning his jeans when he grabbed your hands, shaking his head. “Woah, woah, slow down, Y/n,” he said, pushing you away slightly. You frowned, confused.

“Do you not want to?” You asked, starting to feel a little self-conscious, which was a new feeling for you. Jaehyun chuckled at your sudden shyness.

“Of course I fucking do. I would let you do whatever you wanted to me. But I have to leave, Y/n, and if we do this… well, I don’t think I’ll be able to. I’m struggling already.”

“Then don’t leave,” you begged. Jaehyun kissed your lips softly.

“I have to.”

“Then let me come with you,” you offered. Jaehyun shook his head.

“Your job is here. Your life is here.”

“So is yours,” you reminded Jaehyun. “And what about protecting me? Whose to say the Snakeskins won’t come after me again?”

“They already know what they need to. They have no reason to hurt you,” Jaehyun said firmly. You shrugged.

“You don’t know that. Please, Jaehyun. There’s got to be something else you can do than just run. Can’t you hand your father over to the police?” You asked. Jaehyun sighed, shaking his head. “I couldn’t do that. Look, all I can do is say that I won’t go immediately. I’ll see if there’s anything else that can be done. For you.” Jaehyun said. Your heart warmed.

“Okay.”

“But I can’t see you. I don’t want to put you in any more danger,” Jaehyun said sternly.

“Then we should make the most of the time we have, right now,” you pointed out, planting soft, open-mouthed kisses on Jaehyun’s neck. He sighed, finding it secretly adorable how insatiable you were, something he hadn’t expected. He could agree with your logic, even though he knew it would probably be a mistake. “Y/n…” he warned. You sat back, suddenly glaring at him. “Jaehyun. I want you. A lot. And now you’re here, and there’s nothing stopping us. Do you want me to stop?” You demanded, feeling your anger bubbling up to the surface. Jaehyun felt his ears turn red. “N-no,” he stuttered. You smiled nicely.

“Good. now, just sit back,” you commanded. Jaehyun lay back on your couch, pulling you so you were directly over his crotch, your thighs tight around his. Jaehyun’s hands were on the zipper of your jeans, tugging them down and removing your shirt so you lay bare for him, in just some scantily clad underwear. His eyes zeroed in on the fabric, obsessed with the way it clung to your breasts, your nipples already hard under the fabric. “Touch me,” you commanded, guiding Jaehyun’s hands to your breasts, letting him squeeze them whilst you worked on getting him as unclothed as you were. His hands began to roam, squeezing, making you gasp with pleasure. He was holding you with reckless abandon, so close that you stuttered, feeling so overwhelmed with emotion. The tension that you had built up over so long was finally being released, and it was long overdue. You removed his clothes just as fast until his already hard cock was pressed against you, with no barriers, your underwear strewn on the floor. Your eyes drooled over the sight of Jaehyun naked and bare for you, your desire for Jaehyun increasing with every touch, his eyes filled with the same desire. His lips met your neck, tilting your head back whilst tugging your legs around his waist, his cock pressing against you. Jaehyun grunted the position he had tugged you in proving to not be so useful. He carefully sat up, your legs around his waist still and stood up, his arms around you as he navigated to your bedroom. He kicked the door open sloppily, causing giggles to erupt. He smiled cutely. You couldn’t believe this man. He was the cutest human being alive, and yet right now you were so turned on by him.

You both fell on the bed, your limbs detaching from his waist as you found yourself on top of him, just as you preferred. You grinned a little, before your hand found Jaehyun’s member, and you began moving your hand ever so slowly down his shaft. He moaned in pleasure, your hands gripping him ever so tighter as they moved up and down. “Y/n, you need to stop if you want me to last,” Jaehyun said, gripping you tightly, sweat starting to drip down his brow. You stopped with a small grin. “We wouldn’t want that,” you teased. 

You spread your legs wide and let Jaehyun stare at your wet pussy, dripping with arousal. He moaned at the sight, sliding his fingers up your body, playing with your folds before crawling up your body and spearing his tongue into your wetness, making you mewl, bucking against his mouth. Jaehyun gripped your hips tighter, pressing his hands against you to stop you from squirming underneath him. He continued his ministrations inside your folds, moving one hand to expertly play with your clit, making you moan at the sensation. “Please,” you begged, feeling a distressing urge to cum by Jaehyun’s mouth. He grinned against your folds, his fingers moving faster alongside his tongue, making your stomach coil in that familiar way which signalled you were close. “Please, Jaehyun,” you begged again, just as his fingers curled into you, hitting all the pleasure spots, and you came instantly, moaning Jaehyun’s name as he lapped up all of your juices before pulling out. “You taste fucking amazing, Y/n,” he said, wasting no more time as he tugged on his cock a little more before easing it into you, not even pausing as his cock filled you, bare and dangerous. You moaned as you felt his long length bottoming out, still sensitive from your last orgasm, his arms tightening around you, groaning.

Your head titled back into the bed in pleasure, Jaehyun’s lips finding your neck, his hands caressing you, pulling you into his embrace. Jaehyun pulled out slowly before slamming back into you, your collective groans mingling with the sound of your heavy breathing and Jaehyun’s wet lips on your skin. He gently lifted your leg above his shoulder, hitting back into you at an angle that you vowed should be illegal, and was a surprise to you given Jaehyun’s usually soft nature. It seemed it was a facade. You begged Jaehyun to go faster, and he did, plunging what felt like deeper and harder each time, his movements smooth and fluid. You grasped him tighter, “please don’t stop,” you begged, as Jaehyun slammed back into you. He grunted an incoherent response, sweat dropping off his face, off his body as he worked in overtime to give you the pleasure you deserved. You felt your body building to another orgasm, and you felt Jaehyun slowing, pointing to his own end, then for the second time that evening, you came, stars flittering across your eyes. Jaehyun groaned as he followed you into orgasmic bliss, tightening his hold even more on you, burying his head into your neck. It was messy, your fluids leaking out of you as Jaehyun slowly pulled out of you, collapsing next to you, his head not leaving your side. You stroked his head, your eyes welling up.

You sat there for a while, with you stroking his chest. “I think you should text Johnny. I have his number. Or at least, what he gave me. Maybe if you reach out… we could put an end to this,” you said softly. Jaehyun sighed.

“That’s not what I want to hear after what we just did,” he said with a small smile.

“I know. But we can’t ignore it, Jae,” you reasoned. Jaehyun chuckled humourlessly.

“What if its not that easy, Y/n? I’d love to believe that talking will fix things, but with the Mafia, the only thing they recognise is violence and death.”

“Isn’t it worth a try? Its in everyone’s interests to negotiate,” you said desperately.

“I can try, Y/n. But I can’t guarantee it will work,” he warned. You shrugged.

“As long as it keeps you here. That’s all I want. Selfish I know,” you said, ducking your head into Jaehyun’s shoulder so he couldn’t see your face. Jaehyun chuckled. “I’ll do everything to make that happen,” he promised.

“Promise you won’t leave?” You whispered, fighting the tears threatening to spill. Jaehyun smiled, kissing your forehead. “I promise. We’ll work this out. The best way we can. Together.”

*

The next morning, you woke up, feeling blissful, wrapped in Jaehyun’s arms. His strong, muscular arms, fitted around you like they were made to hold you, like you had woken up like this over one hundred mornings. Maybe they were meant to hold you, designed in that way. Whatever the reason, You were grateful and you had no immediate desire to move. You knew you should get up and get ready for work, but you didn’t want to. You wanted to stay in bed for a little longer. “Good,” Jaehyun mumbled croakily against your neck. You frowned. “Sorry, did I say that out loud?”

“Yep,” Jaehyun replied with a grin.

“Sorry. We should get up though,” You replied, the grumpiness in your words hard to suppress.

“No, let’s stay here. Just a little longer.” Jaehyun replied, shifting so you were closer to his chest, a feat you didn’t think was possible. You sighed, tangling your legs in Jaehyun’s. His hands roamed your body slowly, enjoying the feel of your skin, soft and supple, goosebumps rising when his hands left that part of the skin. “Jaehyun,” you gasped, your desire for him only rising as his hands moved, skimming over your ribs before resting over your breasts, squeezing them, eliciting a groan from you who guided his fingers down, past your navel, guiding them so he could put his fingers inside you, which he did with little hesitation, his fingers easing into you before easing out, his pace quickening along with the pace of your breath, Jaehyun’s breath fanning your shoulder.

You felt your stomach coil, your desire escalating as Jaehyun drove the pace faster, his fingers curling as he got deeper and deeper, until you finally exploded, your orgasm coating Jaehyun’s fingers. Jaehyun withdrew them slowly, putting his fingers into his mouth. You were more than eager to repay the favour, mischievously turning in Jaehyun’s arms, sliding yourself down Jaehyun’s body to his rock hard cock, wrapping your lips firmly around it. You let your desires take control, your tongue guiding Jaehyun down to the back of your throat before moving back up again, Jaehyun’s hands gripped firmly in your hair, making groaning noises meant just for you, only for you, it was just you two, together. “Oh fuck Y/n,” Jaehyun cursed, as you hollowed your mouth once again, imploding inside your mouth, which you swallowed, much to Jaehyun’s surprise, only spurring his arousal even further. “God,” Jaehyun gasped. You smiled lazily, coming back up to Jaehyun and lying on his chest, your ache gone, both your needs satisfied, for now.

“Better?” Jaehyun asked, kissing your hair.

You nodded, when the unease started to creep back in, fears and doubts about the future. Jaehyun noticed immediately. “What's wrong?” He asked. You sighed, not knowing what to say. 

“I’m scared,” you confessed, the oddity of talking to Jaehyun on an emotional level not being lost on you. “You don’t need to be. I promise you - whatever we do, we’ll do it together,” Jaehyun said, kissing your neck. You sighed into the kiss, letting him lull you back to calmness before your phone buzzed. You tugged it from your bedside table, answering the unknown number cautiously. “Y/n? Don’t hang up. It’s Johnny. We need to talk.”

“What do you want?” You asked scathingly, channelling as much venom into your voice as possible, making Jaehyun look over curiously.

“I got Jaehyun’s message. I think it’s a good idea for us to meet.”

“So why did you call me? You could have spoken to him directly, i’m sure you have your ways,” you spat out. Johnny sighed.

“I do. Of course. But I thought I would use this time to extend my formal apologies. I am sorry, Y/n. About everything. I really didn’t plan on sleeping with you that night… but I really liked you.” You felt a blush rising on your cheeks.

“I don’t care anymore, Johnny. I’m over it. I want both of you to co-exist without the threat of invading each other’s territory,” you reasoned.

“Okay. Make a case for it, then. The three of us should meet.” You looked over at Jaehyun who was looking at you, his expression blank. You thought it could be a good idea.

“When and where?” You asked.

“I’ll text you an address. I’ll see you soon,” Johnny said, a lilt on his voice making you shiver. And not in a good way. Jaehyun was still looking at you curiously.

“Was that who I thought it was?” He asked carefully. You nodded.

“Johnny,” you said. “He wants to meet. Maybe we can finally finish this,” you said, lazily tracing shapes on Jaehyun’s exposed shoulder. He smiled, although it didn’t quite meet his eyes.

“I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you all had a lovely holiday! i finally had some free time so i finished this off :) only one or two more chapters after this! let me know what u thought xoxo
> 
> also if you haven't seen it already, here's the pinterest board i made so u can see into my mind hehe https://www.pinterest.co.uk/emilyymayx/c-l-a-r-i-t-y/


	8. the dream threesome meet up and discuss business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow... so this is the last chapter!!!! I had so much fun writing this last one, unveiling the twists and turns which was so exciting! I wasn't sure if I would have one or two chapters left, but it just wrapped up naturally! I had a lot of fun writing this, it wasn't what I expected when I wrote the summary but I'm pleased with how it has turned out ❤️ let me know what you think ✨

You knew Jaehyun agreeing to meet up with Johnny was hard. Jaehyun wanted to end things, and he knew that by speaking with Johnny and his father was the smart move. They may want revenge, but Jaehyun wanted peace. If he could persuade them of that, then it was all worth it.

You were going as a mediator, and you were glad Jaehyun thought so highly of you to involve you in such a big thing - you only hoped it would all be resolved without bloodshed. Jaehyun was different. You had noticed it from the first moment you met - he was soft, kind, and he didn't belong in the cold world of the mafia. You weren't sure you did, sometimes. You dabbled around the edges, getting close, but never quite belonging to the world. Ideally, you wanted to keep it that way. As strong as you were, you weren't strong enough for the 127 Syndicate.

*

"Are you sure about this?" Jaehyun asked you nervously, looking you in the eyes. You nodded.

"I'm sure about you. I'm sure about us. I'm sure that we need to make things right. If we can do it the right way, without bloodshed..."

"It'll make us better than my father," Jaehyun said grimly.

"Jaehyun, you're already better than your father. Miles better, because you're even considering this."

"If he finds out what we're doing here..."

"He won't." You said firmly.

"We should have got Taeyong involved. He would have known what to do..." Jaehyun stressed. You shook your head.

"Taeyong is loyal to your father. I don't think he will share your point of view," you reminded him. Jaehyun sighed.

"You're probably right. Let's just get this over with," Jaehyun said, getting out of the car and coming around to let you out. You got out gratefully, and before you could say anything, he pulled you into his arms, planting a long, soft kiss on your lips. You pulled away after a minute, breathless. "What was that for?" you asked, your eyes shining."Whatever happens. I love you, okay?" He murmured, his forehead pressed against yours. You sighed into his touch.

"I know." You affirmed, kissing him again. He eventually pulled away again, chuckling.

"We better go in," he said reluctantly. You nodded in agreement, heading into the building you had agreed to meet in, a small office with a meeting room to the side where you could see Johnny waiting. You both walked in, and Jaehyun nodded at Johnny curtly. Johnny flushed when he looked at you, as if remembering the night you had shared so long ago, but you pushed your own feelings aside as you tried to remain professional.

“Hi, Y/n.”

“Hey, Johnny. I’m sorry about everything,” you said honestly, sitting down at the table opposite Johnny, with Jaehyun sitting next to you. Johnny nodded, his face devoid of emotion. “Me too. I didn’t mean to… take advantage of you,” he said, giving a sideways glance to Jaehyun whose jaw was clenched shut. You placed a calming hand on Jaehyun’s thigh, urging him to keep calm. “It’s okay. It was consensual. I maybe wouldn’t have if I’d known you were spying and plotting to kidnap me, but we all make mistakes,” you said, your lips twitching into a smile.

“It was all for my sister… everything I do, I think of her. But you were never in any harm when we kidnapped you. You would have been safe,” Johnny explained, making Jaehyun growl. “It's true,” he added with a shrug. You shivered. You were going to make a quip about thinking of his sister whilst having sex with you, but you didn't think it would land very well. “It's not why we’re here,” Jaehyun reminded the other man, who just nodded.

“I want your father in jail, or better yet, at the bottom of the ocean,” Johnny said firmly, staring Jaehyun down.

“Okay. Let’s put a pin in that. Can you explain everything? We've found out what I could, but I think it would be better coming from you, so we can understand how we can proceed,” you said firmly, with Jaehyun nodding beside you in agreement. Johnny just blinked, like he hadn’t even expected that demand to be recognised. Based on that response, you figured this meeting would be harder than you thought. “He… he killed… the only woman I ever cared about. My sister. She was innocent. I’ve spent the last five years trying to put all the pieces together, and about a month ago, I found the final part of the puzzle. Your father killed her, for good measure, when it was all about to come out, what he had done. He would have lost a lot of respect for it, I’m sure. That’s all your father cares about. His reputation,” Johnny spat out. Jaehyun looked at you nervously, so you nodded, trying to encourage him.

"They were in love... that's something I can't fix."

"It wasn't about love," Johnny sneered.

"Then what was it about?" you asked, your curiosity reaching boiling point.

"Diamonds."

"Diamonds?" Jaehyun asked. Johnny nodded.

"Your father gave her a rare diamond ring. He didn't realise what it was worth, but my sister had it valued at 72 million."

"I'm sorry... how much?" you choked out, your eyes wide.

"72 million. It was bought at an auction in Hong Kong by your father, and then he gave it to my sister."

"How did he not know what it was worth?"

"Apparently his broker lied to him and told him it was only worth 100,000. The broker used his money and by the time my father had realised the deceit, it was too late. My sister and the broker were in the wind."

"So your sister stole a ring... and ran away? And my father killed her?" Jaehyun asked in disbelief. Johnny nodded, his grief over the situation starting to show. "She was 4 months pregnant when she died. The broker was her lover, and the father of her child. His name was Kim Doyoung. He was killed in the same shooting."

"And what happened to the ring?" you questioned. Johnny shook his head.

"I assumed your father took it. We haven't seen it since their deaths, although we have tried looking. Has your father ever mentioned it?" Johnny asked.

"Not to me. I've never seen a diamond ring."

"It was quite distinctive. It was pink, they called in the Pink Star."

"Pretty," you remarked. "I've never heard him talk about diamonds in our sessions."

"That's... What we were trying to find. As much as I want justice, I want that ring back."

"It isn't yours," Jaehyun reminded Johnny, his anger flaring. "Doyoung stole the money from my father. The ring belongs to us."

"I stopped caring about who it belonged to the moment your father killed them both. My sister was not involved in the mafia, she was stupid, sure, but she wanted to sell the ring, and get out with Doyoung. My father had constantly refused to allow her to leave, and this was her last resort."

"Her last resort was to scam my father?" Jaehyun retorted.

"Look, I don't agree with her method. She did care about your father, but she did what she thought she had to do. And she paid the price. Your father is an ignorant man, a coward, and a murderer," Johnny spat out.

“I’m not like my father, Johnny,” Jaehyun said, filled with earnest and honesty.

“I’m not saying you are. I’m saying that I want justice.”

“You don’t want justice, Johnny,” you said, trying to keep the pity from entering your voice. “You want revenge. They are two different things.”

“Not to me,” Johnny replied firmly.

“Well, they are to us. If we don’t find a middle ground somewhere, then we’re going to walk out of here and cause a lot of unnecessary bloodshed,” Jaehyun said.

“Maybe that’s what I want,” Johnny retorted, raising his eyebrows.

“I know you don’t. That’s why you’re here,” you reminded Johnny. He looked at you before sighing, his eyes showing the horrors of his past and the bags underneath reminding him of all those sleepless nights thinking about his sister. "What do you want, Johnny? Do you want justice for your sister, or do you want a ring? Which would make you happy?" Jaehyun asked.

"I..." Johnny paused, searching for something in Jaehyun, but he didn't know what. "I want justice. It's too late for my sister and Doyoung. They won't ever face the consequences of their betrayal or their scam."

"I think they have paid enough," you said softly, your heart aching for the pregnant girl who had lost her life, caught in a world she felt so lost in.

"I agree," Jaehyun said.

"I'm going to find the ring. Sell it, and give you some of the money. I know it won't heal any wounds, but I hope it will go some way to helping things. I'm also going to turn my father into the authorities. He should pay for his sins. If that would be enough for you, Johnny, then we can walk out of here today, with no blood being spilt." Johnny looked at Jaehyun curiously, trying to make sense of the offer.

"My father would want your father's head on a spike. But... like you, I want to be a better man than my father. I love this business, but unnecessary blood shouldn't be spilt. Not like my sister, or her boyfriend. I know what they did was wrong, but they wanted a new life. I would never let my daughter go to such extremes. and I blame my father for that, too. So that's why I won't ask for your father's death."

"So you agree to our terms?" you asked. Johnny nodded.

"I don't want the ring. I do... want justice," he said firmly.

"Then let's try and get it," you said. "We need to prove Mr Jung was responsible for your sister's death. What evidence have you managed to get?"

"We have proof of when your father found out about the scam. He was called by Lee Sooman, his personal assistant who told him the real value of the ring and that Yeeun, my sister, was seen leaving her house with the broker, in an intimate position. We have the recording of the call."

"Can we hear it?" you asked, hesitantly. Johnny pulled out his phone, tapping a few buttons before Mr Jung's voice filled the room.

"Yes, Sooman?"

"Sir. We have a very serious problem."

"What is it?"

"You know that ring you bought at the auction for your... er... Miss Yeeun Suh?"

"Yes? What about it?"

"It seems your broker devalued it, Sir."

"Oh, dear. What's it actually worth, then?"

"Um. Are you sitting down?"

"Yes. Get on with it, Sooman."

"It's worth 72 million, sir."

"72 million?! And he paid 100,000?! Wow! Tell him I will give him a raise, that man is certainly going places!"

"Actually sir... it seems he did pay 72 million."

"What?!"

"Doyoung lied to you. He told you it was only worth that much, stole the rest from your account and gave the ring to Yeeun."

"Fucking hell. Get Yeeun in now. I want that ring back!"

"Sir. It seems she has taken the ring and left." There was a pause on the recording, and you felt your blood run cold as you realised the clogs were turning in Mr Jung's brain. "She's what?" he said calmly.

"It appears she has been in a relationship with Doyoung. She's pregnant too, from what we can gather, and he is the father. A paternity test would most likely confirm this."

"We don't need a fucking paternity test. Track them down. I want them found, and I want a bullet through both of their skulls."

"But sir..."

"I DON'T A FUCK ABOUT THEIR BASTARD CHILD! THEY HAVE FUCKING STOLEN FROM ME AND I WANT THEM DEAD, SOOMAN, DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND? AND I WANT TO DO IT MYSELF, SO FUCKING TRACK THEM DOWN SO I CAN FUCKING MURDER THEM FOR THIS ACT OF BETRAYAL AND THE LOSS OF 72 MILLION!!! NOW!" He roared, and the disconnecting sound rang, ending the recording. You stared at Jaehyun in shock.

"I think that would hold up pretty well in court," you said mildly. Jaehyun was speechless.

"If I have your say so... I would like to give this to the police."

"Is your sister's case still open?" you asked. Johnny nodded sadly.

"Well, we won't have much trouble then. Should we warn your father?" You asked Jaehyun. He shook his head vehemently. "And let him have a chance to get away? No. We need to surprise him. That's the only way."

"Let me take it to the cops," you said. "If you two go together people might get suspicious. I'll just turn it in anonymously and we can let the rest do its work."

"Some of the cops are in your father's pocket," Johnny pointed out, looking at Jaehyun.

"I'll go to your side of town, then, Johnny." Johnny nodded in agreement.

"That's probably the best way."

"Okay. So. Are we in agreement?"you asked, looking at Johnny and Jaehyun in turn. They both looked at each other before looking back at you.

"Yes," they both said together, making your lips twitch into a smile.

"Okay. Let's do it."

*

**5 months later**

Jaehyun’s drive to prison felt long and tedious. He didn’t know what to expect from his father. His father had asked him to come, but he was worried it was to just rip him apart, and he wasn’t sure he wanted that. Jaehyun knew his father was angry, rightly so. But he deserved it.

His father looked old. Jaehyun never saw his father as someone who had age on him, he seemed like an immortal man at times. But looking at him from behind the glass, in his orange jumpsuit, he looked old. He had cuts and bruises, and Jaehyun knew prison was being made difficult for him - not that he didn’t deserve it. “Jaehyun,” he said cooly. Jaehyun nodded silently, sitting down opposite, the glass acting as a cold barrier between them. Not that they needed it. The atmosphere was frosty enough. All throughout the trial, Jung had refused to see Jaehyun, condemning him a traitor and threatening him. But this time, he had begged Jaehyun to come. “Why did you ask me here?” Jaehyun eventually asked, his patience thinning.

“I wanted you here to discuss business. MY business, to be exact.”

“It’s mine now. I’ve been running the show whilst you’ve been in here. I don’t need to commit murders to be a good leader if that’s your concern. I won’t be like you.” Jaehyun said coldly. Jung shook his head in amusement.

“You seem to think that I broke some kind of moral code by killing her. You do realise what business I’m in, right? I didn’t run a fucking charity. It’s the mafia. Sure, we liked to pretend we were better than everyone else but was that the truth? No, of course not. We still killed, and just because we didn’t stoop as low as sex trafficking, it doesn’t mean we were much better.”

“I never asked to be involved in any of it.” Jaehyun reminded his father. His father scoffed.

“You think that makes a difference? You were born into it. You don’t know anything else. You’re lucky I even let you go to college, you little shit. I could have just said no.”

“I forgot you live to control,” Jaehyun retorted.

“Maybe. That’s something your pretty little girlfriend said to me, anyway.” Jaehyun felt his anger rise at the mention of you.

“She was wrong to ever trust you in the slightest. Just because you sent your guys to therapy doesn’t make you better.” Mr Jung chuckled at that, his lips forming a cruel smile. “I just said, my son. I was not trying to be better. Not really. Maybe I just thought it could help, I’m not sure. Whatever the case, it landed me here, and probably would have either way.”

“Y/n feels guilty for ever helping you. How does that make you feel? You ruined her life,” Jaehyun said angrily. Mr Jung’s lip curled.

“I never wanted to hurt her, that’s why I invested in her. I’m sad that she feels that way. I hope she can still help people.” Jaehyun nodded in agreement.

“I do too. I do.”

“Look. I’m going to be here for a long time. You need to face it. You may not want to run the business… I can accept that. But please don’t let everything I’ve done, all the blood, sweat and tears, go to waste. Please,” his father begged. Jaehyun just stared at his father, calculating a decision.

“What can I do?” He eventually asked calmly.

“Let Taeyong take over the business. He… he will do right by the 127. He was always better at it, too. I trust him.” Jaehyun pondered the idea, knowing it was probably the best solution. He nodded slowly. “I could go along with that. I need to talk to Taeyong first,” he said. His father nodded, pleased.

“Thank you… I am sorry, too. I know you won’t believe me, that’s fine, but everything I did was for the Syndicate. The 127 is my life. Everything I am. I know why you put me here, and I am willing to pay penance for my crimes. For Yeeun, and for the countless others murdered in this blood feud. But I won’t let it be for nothing," he said firmly.

“I understand. I do. I’ll talk to Taeyong. I have one more question..."

"What is it?"

  
"Where is the ring?"

*

Taeyong’s apartment was much grander than you thought. It turned out he liked the lavish lifestyle. He was, of course, a natural fit to replace Jaehyun as head of the 127 syndicate. He respected Jaehyun more for allowing him to take over. Taeyong knew it was your last time being involved with the 127, and as Jaehyun told him the news. “Thank you, Jaehyun. I’m really glad I got to know you again this time around. You’re a good guy,” Taeyong said, patting Jaehyun’s shoulder. He bid you farewell as well. “Thank you too, Y/n. For everything.”

“Taeyong…”

“What’s up?” He asked.

“Take care of your sister. She shouldn’t be caught up in your world. Let her be free,” you said, thinking of Chaeryeong. Taeyong sighed. “How did I know you were going to say that?” He said with a small chuckle. You smiled ruefully.

“I care too much about people,” you said, a twinkle in your eye.

“Tae? What’s wrong?” You heard a voice coming out of the bedroom. You gasped as you saw the emerging woman, a figure you recognised.

“Sana?” You said dumbly. She flushed, tugging her silk gown closer around her waist, trying not to meet your eye, or Jaehyun’s.

“Er… hi guys. We actually ordered pizza, so I thought you were the pizza guy.”

“Are you two…” you trailed off, tilting your head.

“We’ve actually started dating. It’s pretty new, but… well, turns out we’ve liked each other for a while,” Taeyong admitted. You smiled.

“I guess love is all around,” you said, grinning. You winked at Sana, who pointedly ignored you. She knew she would be getting an earful as soon as you were both alone.

*

**_3 months later_ **

You were holding hands with Jaehyun walking down the street, happily chatting away about what to get for your two therapist parents' anniversary which was fast approaching. You were still in the same city, but plans had been finally finalised. Mark was getting his own therapist license, and Sana was taking over Lotus house, your first in the new franchise - with Taeyong’s full support, they would continue your work in the city. Now, you were starting the second branch in the chain, which you would run yourself, in a completely different city, but only an hour away, so you could still see your friends. It helped that it was a little bit closer to your parents too, so you could visit them more, which you had been doing a lot since your father's accident. You made sure Jaehyun felt like he had a family with your family, since his family had turned out to be rotten to the core. The only thing you were concerned about was what Jaehyun wanted to do. Just as you were lost in thought thinking about it, you heard a voice calling your name. “Y/n?” You turned, only to see Dongmin looking at you, or more specifically, your hand in Jaehyun’s. “Dongmin, hey,” you said, hastily retreating your hand, an action that was noticed by Jaehyun and Dongmin. “Are you guys dating?” Dongmin asked curiously. You nodded, a little sheepishly.

“Wow. I feel like I’m in one of those memes. You versus the guy she told you not to worry about,” Dongmin said with a laugh. You smiled, unsure of what to say, thinking back to when he had been worried and seen Jaehyun as a potential rival. Luckily, Jaehyun came to the rescue. “Its quite new, actually. I stopped being a patient a while back,” he explained carefully. Dongmin nodded slowly, before smiling at you.

“I’m glad - you look happy, Y/n.”

“I am,” you said sincerely. “I hope you can be, too, Dongmin,” you replied in earnestly.

“I am. My girlfriend is pregnant,” he boasted, beaming. You clapped with delight.

“That’s fantastic. I know you wanted kids, congrats,” you said. Dongmin nodded, smiling.

“I better get going. It was nice to see you both. Good luck,” he said, waving goodbye.

Jaehyun looked at you sideways, clearly, something you said was bothering him. You looked at him, a blank expression on his face. “What’s up?” You asked.

“Do you not want kids?” Jaehyun asked quietly. You blinked. Then you realised what you had said to Dongmin, and why Jaehyun was asking.

“Oh, its not that. I just knew Dongmin did so soon, and I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to have _his_ kids,” you emphasised.

“Would you have mine?” Jaehyun asked, a twinkle in his eye. You smiled, a sly grin creeping on your face.

“Baby, you say the word and you can get me fucked up,” you said with a chuckle. Jaehyun’s eyes darkened at your words.

“God, I love you. I want to throw it all away, make you my wife, live wherever you want, go wherever you do… be with you, love you, cherish you, be whatever you need,” he murmured, tears streaming down his face as he pulled you into his arms and held you tightly.

“Everything we’ve done, everything I’ve done, its because I love you, Jaehyun,” you said softly. Jaehyun was just staring at you, nothing but love and adoration on his face. “It just goes to show… it was all just excuses before. When you find someone you love, there’s nothing that would make you want to end things. And I wanna be with you. Forever.”

*

The next morning, you were laying in bed with Jaehyun, the sun peeking through the windows, placing soft beams on Jaehyun, making him look like some kind of godly angel, the light making him look so soft and warm. You felt him stir under you, so you placed kisses along his naked back, until he groaned lightly. “So… what do you want to do?” You asked Jaehyun lazily, tracing shapes into his back. He turned, his hands coming up around your waist, holding you in place. He knew that you were asking more than just what he wanted to do today. “I want to be a sports therapist. I mean, it's not quite like what you do, but… I think I would be good at it,” he said hesitantly. You beamed, planting a kiss on Jaehyun’s cheek, making him flush, even after all this time.

“I can’t think of anything that would suit you more,” you murmured. “I mean, most things are better than the mafia. But this? It suits you,” you teased.

“You think?” He asked nervously, his eyes searching for any hesitation, but he found none from you.

“I do. I can’t think of anything better. Let’s leave this life behind. Start a new one together,” you promised. Jaehyun pulled you closer, kissing you softly on the lips. “I love you,” he murmured, kissing your skin repeatedly. You felt tears of happiness slide down your face.

“I love you so much, Jaehyun. So much,” you said.

Only a little while ago, you never thought you would find a love like you had. You had been naive and didn’t know that you could be happy if you just let yourself. And by god, you were glad you did. It was all worth it.

A few years later, you found yourself driving, top-down towards the beach, your fiancee next to you, his hand massaging your thigh, the shiny pink diamond on your ring finger glittering in the sunlight on the steering wheel.

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! this was so fun, I'm sad it's over! I had an idea about a sequel, but I'm not sure if I will write it... stay tuned!
> 
> don't forget to comment, and take a look at the moodboard on Pinterest for this story: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/emilyymayx/c-l-a-r-i-t-y/

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment if you liked this I thrive off comments🥺


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